


Liminal

by Crucified_To_A_Star



Series: into the abyss [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood and Injury, Breeding Kink, Brief Depictions of Death, Brief Depictions of Violence, Elves, Falling In Love, Fluff, Horror Elements, M/M, Mating, Other, Predator/Prey, Rimming, Size Difference, Size Kink, Smut, Tentacles, brief yunsang - Freeform, but nothing actually scary just hwa eating...people?, elf!san, hwa technically has no gender, hwa tends to sans wounds bc i love that trope, leviathan!hwa, oh lord not the breeding kink, shapeshifter!hwa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:07:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crucified_To_A_Star/pseuds/Crucified_To_A_Star
Summary: "What the fuck are you?"“I am a Leviathan, San.”San didn’t like the way he spoke his name, didn’t like the way it rolled from his tongue like fog over a forbidden cove. Enticing. Sinful.Hungry. Most of all, San didn’t like the way his body reacted, tingling and warm at the gentle grasp still holding his head hostage.Stay away from the water.The warning rang through his head once again as he stared up into the black eyes of the Leviathan that haunted the cove. He couldn’t heed the warning. He couldn’t stay away from the water. More specifically, he couldn’t stay away from the Leviathan living there.
Relationships: Choi San/Park Seonghwa
Series: into the abyss [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165700
Comments: 37
Kudos: 155





	Liminal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lavenderpeachbby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderpeachbby/gifts).



> so.... this is A Lot. this was originally supposed to be a real quick 10k and somehow it ended up...this. i even cut a major chunk of the plot out that i may write later as a follow-up to this.  
> Anyways this is dedicated to one of my best friends!! congratulations baby!! have nearly 30k of tentacle, monster fucking, and romance to celebrate <3<3<3
> 
> as always enjoy!! i don't normally write time screwy fics but with the original plot this was the best way to write it, so i hope it turned out clear.

[Autumn, Present]

 _Stay away from the waters_. 

There was one common rule amongst San’s people, one that they adhered to without fault. It was enforced with no law except the terror of death. 

_Stay away from the water._

Many Elves had disappeared into the blackness that lined the farthest eastern half of their land, swallowed by the great displeased beast that begged for an offering with an open maw and endless nothingness. They said the waters were haunted, tainted with the sin of the people before them. The water was unable to be exorcised and cleansed of such evil; many High Elves had tried and succumbed to the sightless depths. 

The water demanded sacrifice for disturbance and it took without remorse. 

San had grown with the warning drilled into his mind with a vengeance, the phrase repeated and repeated and _repeated_ until he swore he recited it in his sleep. 

Though, as his fingers were scraping into the thick sandy shoreline, the black water lapping at his chest and neck as the Creature behind him broke him down from the inside out, he couldn’t find any fear lingering. Hands held his thin waist in a grip that would surely bruise and would inevitably leave the other feeling mournfully regretful at the prospect of having injured his partner. The slick slide of his feeler tentacles slipping along his spine and chest was leaving him breathless, feeling as though everything was _too much_ and _not enough_ all wrapped into one emotions that hung heavy in his chest. The ever incessant rhythm of his hips rolled with the current of the water in smooth waves and left him wondering how _anyone_ had found fear in these waters.

When he came, he fell nearly boneless into the water, the Demon behind him cradling him carefully through it as he let himself be swallowed by the watery grave. 

_Stay away from the water_. It echoed in his mind every time he was worked through his sobbing, blubbering mess. His tongue was always thick and heavy with words he wouldn’t remember later, his voice reaching ears that were not his own. The rule of his people created to keep them safe and _alive_ , their common mantra of fear and worry. Though at the water's edge was where he found his safest moments, cradled against the very Creature at the source of the terror.

I.)  
[Previous Early Spring]

The first time San visited the waters had been a mistake. He had been sent on a mission to find the wild growing white sage, his Instructor giving him precise directions on where to find the bush. It was easy enough, San thought, and over the length of his apprenticeship he had been sent on _many_ gathering missions. The difference was, however, that every other trip had been that he had never been east of their town built into the mountain. He had gone south and hunted through the grassy plains to search for wild roots. He had been to the northern rocky cliff-face hunting for high-altitude plants. He had gone through the western coniferous forests that stretched on for as far as he could see in search of seeds and cones. He had never been east of their home, the only thing in that direction was the deciduous forest and the open water.

San had been on horseback, his mare trusted and familiar, the two sauntering through the thick woods listening to the sounds of life as a melody to fill the emptiness. His Instructor said it was no more than an hour to the east, the path long since worn into the earth, leading the way to the grove of wild sage. It shouldn’t have been an issue, the path clear and the directions easy. 

The problem arose, however, as San realized he had been trotting along the path longer than an hour, the hourglass strapped to his thigh having run out twice already. He should have arrived _ages_ ago; the two were not making slow time and the path was still clearly beaten. San wondered if he had headed down the wrong one, by mistake, but something told him to _keep going_ and that he was headed in the right direction. 

The trees around him changed slowly, going from thick and dense and dark conifers to thin and open deciduitis. Early spring was here and with it so were the fresh green leaves, the bark of the trees healthy and practically glowing. Wild flowers bloomed in the patches of sunlight that peered through the canopy and landed on the wet earth. Berry bushes and brambles and viney climbing plants wove in between the tree bases, the occasional fallen tree making home to a plethora of saprotrophs and fungi. Occasionally he saw rabbits and squirrels darting in and out of the trees, had spotted a lone raccoon curled up in the crook of a tree branch, and a trail of deer tracks that crossed the path he was on.

It was pleasant and entirely _new_ to him. He had only ever experienced this from his bedroom window and through the pages of books. As a child he had always been warned of the east woods and their gateway to the water. It had installed a healthy suspicion of the area within him, one that made him inherently cautious now that he was older and being sent into it begrudgingly. 

The nerves within him ached as he began to feel less confident in his travel as time crept on and the sun shifted in the sky. He held the hood to his cloak tighter to his body, hoping to chase away the eerie feeling of the ghosts watching him. The sky that peer through the canopy looked as though it would rain soon, the blue becoming murky and muted, the sunlight becoming wetter and fainter. He didn’t wish to be caught in the rain, but he didn’t want to turn back until he had gotten his sage and completed his goal. The pouch attached to his belt felt light in a daunting manner, laying pathetically limp against his hip as an open sign of his failure as an apprentice. 

The fear truly set in, however, when the trees began to thin, growing shorter and less dense around them. The ground slowly shifted from smooth dirt to uneven and scattered rocks that broke through the earth like jagged teeth. The air was beginning to smell wetter, not like rain or the river that ran through the center of the town, but as though the atmosphere itsElf was _wet_. 

Then, he saw it.

Through the trees, there was a thin black line. 

The closer he got, the thicker the line became and the more his heart sank into the empty pouch at his side. It wasn’t until he was at the edge of the forest, pulled from his equal terror and awe, that he realized that his horse _wasn’t stopping_. He pulled on her reins and yanked them sideways, but the mare continued regardless. Distressed noises left her in a wild flurry as she began to clop over the large rocks that made up the shoreline, entirely unresponsive to San’s attempts to stop her. 

“ _Kit_ ,” He begged, voice high and desperate, “ _Stop_.” 

The horse whinnied -a sad sound, a mournful sound-, but stepped over the peak nonetheless. San watched in horror as the water seemed to watch them in return. He couldn’t see anything on the surface of the water, the sea an entirely smooth sheet of black; San was certain that wasn’t _normal_. He swore in all the stories he had read the ocean had been _blue_. She began to head down the small slope of the beach towards the reflectionless water, the boulders thinning into smaller rocks that eventually became pebbles that then became sand. 

San remembered one time he had entered the mines north of the town. It had been a dare to go into the shaft with no light and no company, one that San had foolishly accepted. When he had done so, he had slipped and scraped his leg badly enough that it had scarred, a pale jagged memory on his limb. San had thought he had never seen a darkness like that and that he never would again. 

As he watched the horse draw closer, he realized that the mines weren’t the darkest place on the planet. 

The water wasn’t _black_ , per se, but it was completely devoid of _any_ light. The sun didn’t reflect on the water, there was no glare from the light behind the clouds. It was as though there was simply a wound in the universe, opened there at the edge of the freshly blooming forest, cradled in a large cove that was separated from the sea by a tall foothill on one side and what looked like the crumbled remains of what once was a foothill on the other. 

San finally caved when Kit’s hooves hit the pebble part of the beach with a startling crunching sound. He swung the one leg of his over the saddled and dismounted unceremoniously, praying his landing would leave him unharmed. He stumbled on the uneven and shifting ground, feet slipping from under him as he hit the jagged earth with a groan, pebbles digging into his skin through the cotton clothing he wore. He scrambled to sit up, tangled in his silver velvet cape, watching in horror as Kit walked into the water.

The current of the cove had been slow, waves lapping the shoreline in lazy strokes with gentle and pleasing sounds. When Kit’s hooves breached the line, however, the water stilled completely. Everything was silent, as though the world had completely collapsed around them, everything eerily still and unmoving- everything frozen in time. 

Then it shattered. 

The mare hadn’t stopped treading into the water when the surface broke with a loud slapping sound. San shuffled backwards until he was scrambling over the sharp and jagged rocks, eyes entirely glued to the sight before him. It was as though the blackness of the water manifested into shapes, bodies rising from the surface. One slunk over top of the grey mare, who barely made a sound. Then, suddenly, she was gone. Without a fight the silence returned in an eerily quick manner.  
The water settled into its deceptively smooth surface, the current breathing back to life as it lapped at the shoreline in peaceful sounds. It would have been an idyllic scene had it not been for the horror he had witnessed paired with the sheet of unreal abyss before him.

San felt as though he could have thrown up or run away or even pass out, but his body refused to do _anything_ in response. He just stared at where the water had swallowed his horse, Kit entirely gone beneath the surface as though she had never been there to begin with. 

There was a distant stinging in his hands and he realized belatedly that he was probably bleeding, but he couldn’t physically bring himself to check. His white cotton pants were stained greyish from the black water and the grime of the shiny black rocks, ripped in some places. His shirt was half pulled from his beltline and he was certain he looked disheveled and terrified and that was because _he was_. He couldn’t feel his toes, wiggling them in his thick leather boots as he attempted to regain his sense of sElf. He could really feel _any_ of his extremities if he thought about it, but it truly felt as though his feet just _didn’t exist_.

He needed to leave and _quickly_ , he knew, but it was as though he was being held to the stones he lay on by hands he could not see. 

His attention was torn from his pathetic looking pants as he saw the water surface shift again. A terror tore through him at that, one that pleaded him to move or react in any way, but still he held oddly still.

_It’s coming back for me._

Panic rang through him, though still his body did not move. He realized belatedly that he was being controlled entirely by the influence of the water. 

The water moved in a bubble of surface tension as though something was pressed just beneath it but not breaking through. It continued to move closer and closer to the shore until finally the water separated to reveal a head. The black water slipped from the body, down the Creatures neck and over its shoulders as it moved closer to the shore. San could now see the tail behind it, long and curling like that of an eel or a snake. It weaved in the water with swishing motions as the body fully emerged from the water and slid up to the start of the pebbles. 

From there, San could finally see all the details of the Creature. It was tall, _so much taller than he_ , with hard defined muscles and a lithe body shape. The tail was at least thrice as long as the torso, tapering to a point that curled upwards out of the water curiously. It was black with shimmering scales that gleamed iridescent in the light, several singular gold scales littering the length of the top, the underbelly a slightly lighter black shade with several white and silver patches in random geometric shapes. Around the base of its tail, the black scales faded sporadically into the greyish, thick looking skin of his humanoid torso. The higher his eyes climbed the more _humanoid_ the skin and features became. The Creature’s face was a faded honey color, features rounded and soft, yet austere and intense. Its eyes stared at him from beneath dripping black bangs, entirely glossy and black, reminding San of the stones he sat on. 

It was beautiful in the same way that large sharks were; murderous, cunning, and _strong_. Although _this_ predator was something _far_ more dangerous.

“ _Leviathan_.” He breathed, his chest aching as he stared at the Creature. He had only ever read about them; Leviathan’s were thought to be extinct long before the Elves migrated to the coastlines. They were a lineage of aquatic shapeshifters that supposedly had only inhabited the depths of the ocean, returning to land only to hunt and disappear once more. It felt as though San were staring at a fossil, one that was very much alive and very much poised to kill him. 

“Indeed.” The voice that was returned to him was far deeper than he expected, rolling and raspy like the sea in a storm. When it spoke, San was able to see the row of sharp teeth and curved fangs. The Leviathan’s arms were crossed curiously over his chest, hands dark grey that faded into the light grey that faded into the pallor of his shoulders. It was fascinating and terrifying all at the same time and San’s mind was unable to keep up with every piece of information it was receiving. 

When the Leviathan moved again, his mind finally gave out, body collapsing into the rocks unceremoniously. 

_Grass_. The first thing San’s brain alerted him of was the presence of soft, sun warmed grass surrounding him. The next thing San’s brain registered was that he was _alive_. His eyes flew open as he flung himself upright, body protesting and head aching. He was sore in his legs, arms, and head. He assumed it was from the way he had collapsed into the rocks, bruises surely would be found in the softer parts of his body from the rough treatment he had subjected himself to. 

He looked around, squinting as his eyes blearily adjusted to his surroundings. He was in the meadow on the outskirts of the border of his town, the stone wall surrounding the town only a few minutes away. The meadow was in bloom this time of year, full of wildflowers and insects, the mountain that the town was built into was a wisteria color against the pale blue sky that was fading into a greenish sunset. The town looked lively; all white stone and wooden buildings, tall stilted bridges and pathways and archways connecting everything until it reached the foothills where it evened out slightly and such structures were unnecessary. 

San had never known why the Elves that arrived here had built their home into such a precarious and dangerous location, but the aesthetic architecture of spiraling stone towers and glossy dark wood homes against the rough mountain-face was pleasing to the eye. He suspected that that had been a driving reason, the Elves having a penchant for aesthetics over practicality. He looked to his torn and soiled velvet cape with disdain and had his thoughts confirmed. 

He stood carefully on wobbly legs and made his way silently through the meadow, letting the grass brush his legs through his torn trousers as a way to keep his mind grounded. He briefly wondered if he had actually died and if he was just living in the afterlife, imagining what he had once had. The Guards that greeted him upon entry were too realistically stone-faced and dead-behind-the-eyes for it to be a manufacturing of his mind, though, and settled those thoughts to rest. If he were dead and imagining this all, he surely would have created better characters than what had truly existed.

He passed through the stone walls' single eastern entrance with little hassle, following the dirt path through the livestock meadows and up the rolling hills. The trek was bland and his mind was blank, still trying to process everything that had happened. Slowly, buildings began cropping up from the fields, farmers' houses. He continued to wander along, passing through what he considered to be _suburbs_ , until he reached the white stone staircase carved into the mountainside that led to the main part of the city. The railings on either side of the staircase were gold and hand carved with motifs and prayers, beautiful but unnecessary as they needed redone practically yearly as the hands that roamed over them wore them down. 

When San made it back to the apothecary that his Instructor ran, he found himself empty-handed and confused. Not only had his horse died, but he had failed at his _simple_ task of collecting sage. He had not only returned empty handed, but he had been robbed as well. The realization settled heavy in his chest, a combination between irritation and disappointment.

His Instructor was an elderly man with elderly eyes; their natural purple had faded into something worn and tired, the deep creases around his eyes and forehead and mouth gave way to his age. His hair was long and white, tied into an intricate braid that was tossed over his shoulder, contrasting in a lovely way with his dark skin. He dressed as all Elves did when in the city; excessively and prettily, with billowing sleeves and shades of white, delicate silver accessories draped around his wrist and neck, a thin crown with a delicate gem dangling between his eyes and landing on the bridge of his nose. His fingers brushed his square chin, the tips of his metal claw accessories dragging across the skin there in contemplation. San was certain he looked completely out of place in his current state and would probably receive some glaringly obvious judgement from the town as he passed through.

“Apprentice Choi,” He said, voice soft but stern, “You did not return with the white sage.”

“No,” San said, bowing his head in disappointment with himself, “I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“You look ragged,” His Instructor said after a moment, his tone loosening slightly as concern took over, “San, what happened to you out there?” 

San paused, before shrugging, looking at the way his leather boots knocked together against the wood floor of the apothecary. “Kit was spooked by something as I was distracted. She took off and when she did so, I fell. I was left to hunt for her for ages, but I couldn’t find her, so I returned. The trip was long and after the fall I completely forgot to head to the sage patch. I truly apologize.” San wasn’t sure why he lied about what happened in the woods, _in the water_ , but something in him knew that if he was honest he would never be allowed to return to the eastern woods. He wasn’t sure why that was a problem, but his mind said _it was_.

His Instructor sighed, the sound worried and less heavy than expected. “No, San, do not apologize.” San looked up to him then, eying him as his Instructor came to terms with the information. “I should not have sent you out on your own alone for your first time in the eastern woods. Those woods can scare even the most assured Elves and companions. _I_ apologize. This was my wrongdoing.” 

San scratched the back of his neck nervously, ignoring the guilty that ate at his stomach for having lied about the events. “It was just a learning curve.” 

II.) 

San had been sent on gathering trips in the eastern woods several more times within the following moon cycle, accompanied by other more experienced Apprentices to _keep him safe and on track_. Truly, San thought they were just babysitters to ensure that he didn’t fuck up as royaly as he had the first, but he said nothing on the matter.

Each trip went smoothly, him taking the lead initiative on all of them, and the others fell back to provide him with room to grow- something he was thankful for, but whether it was their orders or personal decision he didn’t know. His Instructor had bought him a new horse when it was clear Kit was not returning; a stunning black gelding with a grey and white mane named _Amyre_. He was grateful, even if it was out of either pity or guilt from the Instructor. 

It was roughly a full moon cycle after San had first encountered the water that he decided to return to it. There was a nagging curiosity tugging at his chest, one he hadn’t been able to shake since the encounter. It was sunny that day, bright and comfortable, and he felt as though it was finally time he rounded on the intrigue that had begun plaguing him. 

The more he thought about what had happened, the less it made sense, and he thought about it _constantly_. From his knowledge, no one had ever returned from an encounter with the water; the water was unforgiving and all consuming. Still, he had somehow managed to end up back home entirely safe, save the small scraps he had caused himself on the rocks.

The curiosity turned to frustration, which gnawed at him until he was pacing in the night and able to view the sunrise. It was dangerous and rather stupid, he knew, but still he found himself following the same path as before, the dirt path looking untouched as though it had been worn down and forgotten. He flipped his hourglass when the white sand filled the bottom, restarting time with his own hands. He had had to replace his original hourglass, the one he had previously had shattered and slipped away when he fell on the shoreline. This one was pewter and carved to look like wood, much different from the old brass and filigree one. 

San rode Amyre all the way until the hourglass had been tipped over a second time and ran halfway through, admiring the fresh spring blossoms that fully decorated the landscape now. Everything here was so much different than home, the botany entirely foreign despite the slight difference. Only when the hourglass was half ran-through did he stop to tie the horse to a tree with some gentle praises and promises of a quick return- he spoke both to the horse and himself, hoping to steel his nerves in preparation for the ridiculously mindless adventure he was embarking on. He left the horse behind to finish the journey to the waters edge alone, hoping that he would not lose another horse. He wondered as he walked if the reins would be enough to stop the horse from falling under the Leviathan’s allure.

He followed the eerily empty path as it grew emptier and emptier, the plantlife here shifting into something new still. He hadn’t noticed it the first time he had wandered through, the confusion and stress of the situation blinding him slightly. The plants here were sharper, more muted in color, and the earth was more fragile and sandy, like it was vying to suck him down into it and bury him there. He followed it until the trees thinned into these curling trunks with rough bark and sharp, dark leaves coated in a waxy finish. The ground became unstable with jagged rocks and deceptive greyish sandy soil that threatened to give way if he stepped wrong. He stopped to rest against a large fallen stump, the bark biting at his thighs through his cotton pants, but he ignored it as he stared out over the black line that had appeared through the treeline. 

The coastline was naturally built as an intimidating biome, threatening with the power of the ocean and coastal life. San had never seen an ocean before, had only read about them in books. He supposed it made sense that everything surrounding the vast abyss would be dangerous; the ocean housed some of the most fierce animals and Creatures, ruthless in all of its beauty. San wondered if all ocean shores were like this, if all of them were black and reflectionless, pure abysmal depths that swallowed life without remorse. He didn’t know. No one in his town seemed to know. All they could seem to say was that it was evil, and to be stayed away from.

San stood and looked back over the black outline on the horizon and felt the mysterious ache return to his chest. 

The water.

 _Stay away from the water_.

If San was smarter and less reckless and less impulsive, he would have.

His leather boots carried him quietly through the remainder of the forest, over the uneven dirt path. If he had more sense left in him, enough to overcome the all-consuming desire for- what? What was it he wished to seek from the water? Answers? Satisfaction? Knowledge? Rebellion? He had no idea why he was wandering alone in the woods to the area he had been explicitly told to _avoid_ in risk of death, but his feet continued to carry him to the jagged shoreline without hesitation. It felt almost as though he were on a string, being drug there against his will. 

As he walked, he eyed the one standing cliff with a curiosity he couldn’t pinpoint. The cliff on the right looked as though it had once been a part of the crumbled ruins on the left, as though the cove had been forcefully split through the rock and separated them to form the large pool of water. He would ask someone in his city if they knew, however the topic of the water was avoided as though even speaking about it gave the Creature living there power. San would possibly never find out, but he figured some things were best left to his imagination anyways.

It was as San began to crest the small mound of rock that created the bowl shape around the shoreline that a voice stopped him in his tracks. 

“You have a death wish, don’t you?” 

San stumbled rather ungracefully, only just catching himself before falling into the stones once again. He whipped around to find a familiar face lounging on one of the larger boulders settled amongst the rocks on the side of the crumbled foothill. The Leviathan from before watched him with curious black eyes, expression almost frowning as he studied the Elf. 

“No,” San sighed, righting himself and brushing the fabric of his black cape down. He wore a white blouse today, an airy one that laced at his chest and high waisted navy cotton pants that buttoned with large wood buttons. It was a simple look, but the Leviathan studied his frame nonetheless as he fidgeted with his clothing nervously. It made San feel oddly shy, tucking his arms around himself as he buried himself into his cloak deeper. How shortsighted it had been to walk into the lair of a literal predator with no true plan, but he couldn’t find regret inside of him. “No, I don’t wish to die.”

“Then why are you here?” The Leviathan paused, looking over him again before cocking his head. He wasn’t threatening, at least, not in his current posture. His tail was draped lazily over the rock and into the shallowest parts of the water, the waves licking at his tail as though asking him to return. The Leviathan looked as curious about the Elf as the Elf was about him. The Leviathan tacked on with a strange curve to his eyebrows, “ _Again_?”

That was a good question, San thought, one he didn’t have the answer to. He had thought about that the entire moon cycle and the trip here, yet every reasonable answer evaded him.

“You saved me last time.” San answered quietly, fingers knotting into his cape as he realized how senseless that sounded. It wasn’t an answer to the question, not truly, more of a question of its own.

“I did.” The Leviathan answered simply, voice level. San couldn’t read an emotion from the Creature. He was just far enough away that he couldn’t gather any clues from his expression, but he was close enough he could see the way his eyes followed his every move. It was nerve wracking being trapped under the gaze of a Creature that could eat him in a single bite. 

There was a pause where the two were surrounded by nothing but the sound of the black water lapping at the shoreline and the sound of San’s rapidly beating heart. 

“Why?” San finally asked, voice only barely heard above the sound of the water. 

“Why indeed,” The Leviathan responded, almost as though he couldn’t answer it in the same manner that San couldn’t answer him. There wasn’t always an explanation for behaviors or happenings. Some things just _were_. The universe was broad, possibilities endless, and sometimes those possibilities just _happened_. San thought this was one of those experiences, one of those things that just _were_. He could live without an answer to why. 

“I’m San,” He said after a moment of the two staring at each other, assessing one another and the moment they were suspended within. Everything felt as though it had froze, stalled where it had been in motion. San didn’t know to express how he felt and didn’t know how to broach the topic of inane curiosity, so he avoided it entirely. “Choi San.” 

“Seonghwa.” The Leviathan answered after too many heartbeats, voice and eyes as level as the still water of the cove. How much of the Leviathan was intertwined with the sea and how much of the sea was intertwined with him? San was horribly interested in the Creature now that the initial fear had subsided- had San been scared of him? He couldn’t remember. He didn’t know what the emotions rolling through him were the first time he saw the Leviathan. San didn’t know if any of them amounted to _fear_. Perhaps he had never been truly fearful and that was why the interest lingered and drew him back to the forbidden black waters. San didn’t know. What he _did_ know, however, was the Leviathan’s name and that felt an awful lot like precious information. “You may call me Seonghwa.”

III.) 

Seonghwa had never met an Elf as foolish as Choi San. 

Initially, Seonghwa had lured his horse to the water thinking it was alone and wandering, free of rider or baggage. He had only realized his mistake when he had swallowed the poor beast and sensed that there was a faint power pulse remaining on the shoreline. The Elf mustn’t be that powerful, he guessed, if the horse’s magical presence shielded his own. When he slid from the water, it originally had been to drag the Elf into the depths as he had done his stead and make a greedy feast out of the two, but something about the pitiful sight of him collapsed and bleeding against the obsidian and lava shards left him hesitant. When he had subsequently fainted, Seonghwa’s mind had immediately celebrated the easy snack, but something had stopped him entirely. 

He looked so _small_. 

Elves weren’t a physically _large_ species, not really, but Seonghwa wasn’t assessing him physically. Something about the Elf was meek in nature, almost frail. His magical presence was lacking and against the rocks he looked _tiny_. It felt a lot like trying to swallow a hummingbird, a slight remorse building up in his chest the longer he had stared at the poor Elf. It was also peculiar to Seonghwa that the Elf had been able to stir from his allure and he wondered if that was any connection to rather mild magical ability.

Seonghwa had caved to the emotion making his chest a stormy mess and had gathered the Elf in his arms, slithering off towards the town. He didn’t bother shifting fully, merely letting his aquatic form transition to a land-dwelling adaption. The entire way, the Elf had stayed unconscious, breathing softly against his skin. He smelled like flowers, something achingly sweet, and a little dusty as though he spent a lot of time around books or old wood. Seonghwa had carried him tightly, alert for any signs of interruption, and had attempted the entire way not to focus on the fact that he was leaving a survivor. He definitely didn’t linger on the fact that he was not only a survivor but a survivor with _memory_ of the incident- Seonghwa had no doubts that he wouldn’t be able to wipe his mind if the Elf was able to break out of his allure. His choices were eat him or hope the Elf just stayed away on his own.

He had delivered the Elf in the field of wildflowers just outside of the town. He snatched the unwitting Guard patrolling the entrance of the pathway that broke out of the woods in exchange for saving the Elf. He figured it was only fair.

Seonghwa had never expected to see the Elf again, hoping that he would take whatever fear he had embedded into him and leave it be. That was what most sensible Elves would do, he had thought. 

Choi San, as it turned out, was not a sensible Elf. 

Instead he appeared from nothing while Seonghwa was out hunting one day. Finding the Elf wobbling unsteadily over the rocks a moon cycle after abandoning him, left him feeling confused and mildly entertained. It had been a long while since he had met a land-dwelling Creature that intrigued him and he hadn’t expected to find it in the form of a practically powerless Elf. He figured the world still held its secrets, though, and Seonghwa had yet to see them all. 

Their conversation had been brief, mostly introductions before the Leviathan slipped below the water's surface to avoid the Elf. He had watched from the depths as the Elf stood at the edge of the water, looking at the sheet of blackness before retreating. He had lingered longer than Seonghwa had thought he would, just simply contemplating the surface and Seonghwa could practically watch the questions forming in his mind. 

Something told Seonghwa he would return soon, however, and he had been _correct_. 

Only five days later the Elf appeared at the shoreline again, throwing rocks into the water. Seonghwa had initially been tending to his sea garden when the first rock surprised him by tumbling down the shelf and kicking up sand. Seonghwa watched as another small rock broke through the surface again, sinking down uncomfortably close to his garden. When the third rock landed in the water, further away, Seonghwa finally decided to see what was causing such a ruckus at the surface. When he got close to the surface he could vaguely see the shape of the small Elf and the light pulse of power that waned off of him like the steam of a shower. His head broke the surface to glower at the Elf who looked sheepish immediately after being caught with another rock poised to throw.

“You truly do wish to die, don’t you, Little Elf?” 

San was dressed comfortably today, the same as he had been both other times of his visit; simple black cotton pants that framed his long legs nicely, cinched tightly at the waist with a brown leather belt and a flat pouch, a glimmering silver blouse with ruffles around the collar was tucked into the belt as well, shaping him nicely. Over his unusually broad shoulders was a white silk cape, the hood lax around his shoulders and back, collar pinned by an ornate vine-looking brooch. His black hair was glossy in the dreary lighting, curly and healthy. He looked _pretty_ in a relaxed way, unlike a majority of Elves who appeared as though they were cut from stone and set to life. 

San looked both excited and terrified at the sight of the Leviathan, watching as he slithered closer to shore until his upper torso was exposed. Seonghwa wasn’t planning on leaving the water today and it appeared as though San was not planning on entering. The two were set with a gap between them filled with an unconventional air between them that Seonghwa was beginning to think was idiosyncratic to their relationship.

“No,” The Elf replied, looking at his hands as though he had written all the answers he needed there. He didn’t appear fearful of the Leviathan, more timid than anything. It was cute, Seonghwa thought, and made him look all that much smaller. “I just- I don’t know... I wanted to talk to you, I guess.” 

“Talk to me?” Seonghwa felt quizzical about that, unused to Creatures being _interested_ in him. Typically it was fear or wrath he faced on the shoreline. He knew San had questions, a curious air clinging to him, but hearing the confirmation out loud just set Seonghwa’s mind to a black slate as he attempted to locate any reasoning behind it. The Elf didn’t give him the sense that he was vengeful or searching for ways to hurt him. He just seemed genuinely inquisitive about the Leviathan. “Why?”

“Your kind is supposed to be extinct,” San said, almost breathlessly. With that, Seonghwa understood his reasoning. Leviathan’s were an oddity in modern times, many fleeing to the open ocean to avoid the populations living along the coastline. Leviathan’s were solitary Creatures and disliked the crowds and noise. San clearly craved a window into the world of something foriegn. Seonghwa wondered if he was sharing the information with anyone or if this was purely self-satisfying. “I never thought I would meet one of you. I thought all that was left was fossils and stories. I _really_ never expected to find one of you haunting the forbidden waters... May I ask you some questions?”

“For a price.” Seonghwa resolved after a moment. An odd feeling creeped through his chest as he watched the way the Elf’s eyes glittered at him. Seonghwa wondered if San was truly sane, lacking the appropriate amount of fear for a Creature like him. Seonghwa felt oddly exposed under his eyes, under such an unfamiliarly warm expression regarding him. He crossed his arms and cocked his head, attempting to hide himself without turning the Elf away. “I’ll trade you information for a price.” 

San scowled at him, eyebrows furrowing and lips pouting. He looked _cute_ like that, Seonghwa thought. He was _adorable_. Seonghwa hoped the smile trying to crease his expression was hidden by his forced placidity. San’s voice was flat, bubbling in a full way that sounded as pouty as his expression, “You ate my pet horse.”

Seonghwa shrugged, feigning indifference. He didn’t feel any guilt for eating the horse. “That was a different moment. Make me an offer, one I can’t refuse.”

“What is it that you’d want?” San asked slowly after contemplating briefly, hands gripping the leather messenger bag strapped across his chest that hung next to his pouch. It looked like a security motion as much as Seonghwa’s crossed arms had been. “I’m unsure of what an ancient Demon would even desire.”

Seonghwa scoffed, affronted at the word choice. “Not to be referred to as _ancient_ to begin with. Tell me, Little Elf, do you brew potions?” 

San hesitated then nodded, looking as though he were with-holding speaking on the matter. Seonghwa wouldn’t pry. If the Elf assured him he could brew, then he would accept it face-value. 

“Perfect. Wait here.”

Seonghwa didn’t allow the Elf to respond before he turned and slid beneath the surface. The water of the cove was crystal clear despite the appearance of the surface. The surface was an illusion he had created when he claimed the area, a one way blanket of disorientation to keep his home secure. He slithered through the water quickly until he reached the mouth of his cave, gathering a handful of the seaweed that grew there. It was healthy and a sweet green color, pride filling his chest as he stroked the leaves. He plucked it and gently wrapped it around his fingers to fold it neatly as he began heading back for the shore. When he resurfaced San looked slightly uneasy but didn’t back away as Seonghwa approached him. 

The Leviathan reached his hand out, offering the wet, folded weeds to him with a soft smile. San stared at his face for a moment with wide, doey eyes, before glancing down to his outstretched hand. 

“Take this. Did you bring a journal?” San nodded, reaching out with slightly trembling fingers to gently take the soggy plants. Seonghwa let his hand drop after he had taken the entire handful with a strange expression creasing his face. “Good, you’ll want to write this down.”

Seonghwa watched patiently as San tucked the plant into his pouch, his movements measured as though he were afraid of damaging the ingredients. The sight made Seonghwa’s chest creak with the same emotion as before, the care he took with Seonghwa’s precious plants made him feel _warm_. He fished out his journal from the pouch, a palm sized and simple black leather bound booklet, and ink pen. 

When Seonghwa spoke, he did so slowly and carefully to ensure that the Elf heard every instruction clearly and was able to write it down perfectly:

“You’re going to be making me a potion with that. The first step is to dry it out for three days. Then grind them- it shouldn’t be entirely dry by then and will make a sort of crunchy paste. Then you will grind into that paste: a finger of ginger, however many moonberries you can fit in your palm, two stems of thyme, an entire sparrow skeleton, and a ladle of rose water. When you mix that all together it should create a thick paste, almost mud-like. Lay that paste out and dry it out in a thin sheet, almost as though you are making seaweed strips to eat. Dry it for three more days. Once that is finished drying, come here and gather a large vial of the seawater to boil it in. Once you finish that potion, simply return it to me. It _must_ be in a waterproof container, however, otherwise I will eat you.”

San, who had been writing the instructions feverishly, blanched, eyes bulging. Seonghwa was bluffing, though he wouldn’t tell the Elf that. The potion was complicated and truthfully, it wasn’t all too important yet. He just wanted the Elf to work for the information he was going to be consuming. Besides, he looked pretty as he wrote, eyelashes brushing his cheeks, his teeth digging into the soft skin of his lips, and his dimples creased with concentration. He looked up shyly once he finished writing, catlike features looking oddly soft. “Do you want me to make it first before you answer the questions?” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Seonghwa declined, sinking into the shallow water to give the Elf some space. He lounged against the single large boulder in the water around the submerged crags, not quite climbing up onto it but relaxing against it. The tide was in, so most of the rocks weren’t visible, a majority of the thick sandy shoreline eaten away as well. San watched the way his tail shifted to follow, stretching out parallel to the shoreline, floating laxly in the current. Seonghwa draped his torso along the boulder and watched the Elf watch him. “You can ask whatever questions you’d like this trip. I know you will return and I know you will keep this information between us.” 

“And how do you know that?” San asked, a slight bit of defiance in his tone. He looked cute again, Seonghwa thought, that small bit of bite he carried was enthralling.

Seonghwa licked his lips and shrugged, still relaxed against the black rock as he hoped his interest in the Elf was concealed. “Because if you don’t, I’ll just come to town and find you.”

San inhaled deeply, clutching his journal to his chest as though it were a shield. He still didn’t look fearful of the Leviathan and Seonghwa wondered what was going through his head as he interacted with him. Such an odd little Creature. Seonghwa watched as he moved closer to the gently lapping water before squatting down and getting comfortable in the mixture of rock and sand that was exposed. Seonghwa almost wanted to chastise him for ruining his pants, but he held back. He sat cross-legged with his journal propped in his lap, shoulders hunched as he looked at the parchment pages of his leather bound journal. When he glanced up to Seonghwa, the Leviathan waved his hand in permission to begin.

“Are you alone?” San asked, pen prepared to scribble his answers down.

“Define _alone_?” Seonghwa asked with a tilt of his head.

San glanced up at him before looking out to the sea and then gesturing vaguely, “Here, are you alone here?” 

“Yes,” Seonghwa said thoughtfully as he followed the Elf’s line of sight to the black water and the subsequent sea beyond the split cliff. “Leviathan’s are rather territorial. We don’t gather unless absolutely necessary.”

“What about breeding?” San asked, eyebrows drawn, “Is that seasonal or-”

“What an intimate line of questioning, Little Elf.” San blushed feverishly, tapping his pen against his notebook at the call-out. San was pouting again, avoiding his eyes as he stared at the current. Seonghwa laughed lightly, shaking his head as his wet bangs flopped around, “I’ll allow it. No, there is no season. It is sporadic, slightly random. Besides, Leviathan’s do not breed with each other.”

San blinked several times at his notebook, pen stilling in its motion. He looked up, his expression open and inquisitive, “Then who with?” 

“Other species,” Seonghwa said simply, waving his hand towards the woods behind San. “Two Leviathan’s cannot produce an heir. As shapeshifters, we require a partner with a stable form. Two shapeshifters mating would produce a child with no _base_ form. Some breed with animals, others with humanoids. Whatever suits their likenings at the time.”

San gulped and nodded, writing quickly. “So, you live here alone.” He looked out to the water, contemplative and slightly melancholic. “Is that lonely?” 

Seonghwa looked at him for a moment longer than necessary before responding honestly, “No. We are created as solitary Creatures. It’s not...it is what I am accustomed to.”

San nodded slowly, fiddling with his pen before looking back to his book. “What about your home? Where do you live?” 

The questions came with easy answers, nothing too personal or prying. San absorbed every answer as though he were living off of them. He wrote quickly and inquired politely, kind in the way he worded every question. Seonghwa was quickly beginning to enjoy the Elf’s presence far more than he cared to delve into or ponder on.

San learned about his cave, about his magic, about his two centuries roaming the oceans until he settled here a single century ago. He learned about the way he ate, what he ate. It was all fairly simple information but San seemed excited nonetheless and it made Seonghwa’s chest flutter. 

“What about those?” He asked, gesturing to Seonghwa’s feelers with his pen. Seonghwa looked down at them and the way they hung limply at his side and floated where they touched the water. They were simple thin and long with minute suction cups lining the underneath by the trillions, similar to a starfish’s leg and an oval-ish fin at the end; the skin of the surface was the same as that around his waist, thick and sensitive like a shark or rays.

The Leviathan shrugged, raising a single feeler to wave at the Elf, who blushed and seem to become shy at the sudden attention from such an alien part. “If you are curious about my physical anatomy, come and find out.” 

San laughed nervously -perhaps nervous wasn’t the right assessment of his emotions, but Seonghwa could not pinpoint another way to define it-, scratching his neck and shaking his head. “I- Maybe next time. I think I need to get going. Sunset will start soon and I need to make it back to the border before they close up for the night.” 

Seonghwa nodded, smirking lightly. It seemed as though he had prodded at something nashful within the Elf. “I will see you again soon then, Little Elf.”

IV.)

San felt as though he were living in a dream, mind foggy as he ran over the ingredients list in his mind once again.

Ginger, rose water, and thyme were easy, wildly available and inconspicuous. Moonberries were a slight bit more difficult, only visible in the moonlight, but he knew a small patch grew along the western wall. The sparrow skeleton was incredibly difficult. San wasn’t truly a hunter. He occasionally accompanied the hunters on quick trips, but he rarely caught anything. Catching a full, intact sparrow would be impossible for him. 

He scratched his head as he made his way to the moonberry patch, the darkness providing only a slight bit of comfort. The field was open and empty, quiet as the night insects sang the songs they had for eons. San welcomed the peace after such an unusual meeting with the Leviathan. Seonghwa made him jittery in a manner he was completely unused to. The seaweed felt oddly heavy in his pouch as it swung against his legs with soft noises, a reminder of how close he had gotten to the Creature. Thinking about how he looked up close made San’s chest fill with the same feeble bubbling feeling that he got when pinned beneath the Leviathan’s eyes. He didn’t think too much about it -or at least, he tried not to-, focusing on the path ahead of him instead.

After arriving at the moonberry patch he was surprised to find a familiar figure moving around almost as though his feet did not touch the ground. He was the same height as San, thinner though and daintier, with far more magical power than San possessed. The silver velvet cape shrouded him entirely, but San could recognize the High Elf’s shape and gait anywhere. 

“Yeosang,” He said, shattering the silence that built the night. The High Elf whipped around, icy blue eyes wide in the light. The High Elf was beautiful in a sculpted kind of way; features perfected with time and snowy blonde hair curling under the hood of the cape. He looked like all the High Elves did; as though he rose from snow and ice, pressed together to imitate sculpted marble. Yeosang was kind, warm as the spring and shy as the daffodils, but his appearance always gave him a wide berth in town. San quite liked him. “What are you doing out here?” 

Yeosang looked nervous, as though he had been caught stealing or doing something inherently _wrong_. San couldn’t imagine what a High Elf could be doing that would be considered _illicit_ , but waited for the man to reply nonetheless. “I’m just enjoying the berry patch.” 

It was a lie, that much was clear; Yeosang’s voice trembled as he spoke, fingers clinging to the edge of his cape and tugging it closer to himself. San wouldn’t pry, however- not if the High Elf didn’t wish to share. Everyone had secrets and San knew better than most that some were nothing to be shared.

“Alright,” He said slowly, heading for the patch himself and opening the other pocket of his pouch. _As many as my palm can fit_ , he reminded himself as he began plucking the stout white berries from the waxy branches. The berry bushes' leaves were broad and heart shaped with elegant stems. It was a pretty bush, but the leaves and berries only became visible under the moonlight, otherwise they appeared as nothing more than dead briar patches. Fickle plants, he thought as he fished some of the berries out. Finally he spoke to the still nervous High Elf again, distracted fully by his task, “I’m here to do the same.”

San didn’t pay much attention to the High Elf after that, focusing solely on how many berries truly fit in his palm. He wondered if they were too many or too few, nerves eating at him as he stacked them. Seonghwa had given him no precise measurements despite the fact that potion brewing was exactly that- _precise_. That, combined with the fact that he had no true idea what he was creating for the Leviathan, left him nervous and antsy on his own. 

He was startled from his thoughts when a voice called out from the wall in a hushed and strained whisper, “ _Yeosang_?”

Both present Elves looked up to see a pretty oval face with chubby cheeks and almond shaped eyes staring over the wall, looking incredibly surprised at the presence of San. The brown haired visitor was tall enough to peer over the wall without climbing it, eyes wide and doey in the light, glimmering like molten gold. The antlers that climbed from his scalp like bare tree limbs vying for the sky wobbled as the man was caught off guard. _Faun_ , San thought belatedly, looking to Yeosang only to find the High Elf staring at him with what was akin to _terror_. 

San looked to the Faun, who looked sheepish and shy, then back to the High Elf. 

“ _Oh,_ ” He said softly, realization dawned on him that he was intruding on a _very_ private moment. “I’ll leave you guys alone then.” 

“San,” Yeosang pleaded as he turned away. San turned back to Yeosang, ignoring the scrambling of the Faun as the four-legged deer worked himself over the wall. It was unusual to see a four-legged Faun, most long extinct by now due to hunting. San didn’t give him a second glance, too shy about his intrusion on what was inevitably their intimate moment, probably a rarity that either could indulge in. “Please don’t tell anyone about us...Especially not about Yunho.”

“Of course not,” San said quickly when he realized the High Elf was referring to the Faun, “I would never...Oh, wait, Yeosang?”

The High Elf looked as though he would slump over at the confirmation of San’s secrecy, though tensed slightly with the continuation. The Faun moved over to stand behind him, almost protectively. Yeosang’s head barely reached the Faun’s pecs. “What?”

San looked down at his fingers and the pouch that hung limply by his side. “Can you do me a favor on your next hunt?”

V.)

Seonghwa looked surprised upon the arrival of the Elf within the allotted days. San wasn’t sure if the Leviathan normally spent this much time out of water before his presence. When he voiced the question the Demon smirked and slid from the newly beached log that he had been lounging on and came to the shallows to stand in front of San.

The Leviathan didn’t leave the water. San didn’t enter. The waterline was the barrier between them, feeling as though there was something far more intangible suspending them where they were and arresting their movements.

“There’s never anyone around.” Seonghwa answered ambiguously.

San squinted at him, not quite scowling as he studied the Creature, “You don’t like answering questions, do you?” 

“There’s an answer there if you look.” Seonghwa reached out a single hand, palm up. San noticed the lack of prints that was replaced by slick skin and webbing between his fingers. His hands looked soft and San wondered briefly if they felt more like fish or snake skin. “Did you bring the container for the water?” 

San fumbled with his bag and withdrew the vial he brought. It was an airtight clasped vial, simple and bulbous and clear. He hoped it was the right size for the amount of ingredients he would need to combine and carry. He had no true description on size or measurement so it had all been his best guess.

Seonghwa didn’t make an objection nor appraisal, only took the vial and dipped it into the shallow water. San watched the way his body moved as though he truly had no bones within his torso. He was smooth and slick and bent with little resistance- entirely serpentine. San distracted himself with the sound of the bubbling, though his eyes lingered on the muscles flexing in his back and shoulders, the curves of him outlined in the sun.

Seonghwa seemed to know he was watching him, straightening with what San could only pinpoint as a self-righteous smirk. Seonghwa didn’t mention it, though, instead cocking his head sweetly. “Have you thought about coming closer, yet?” 

San felt the heat rush to his cheeks when the appendages hanging by his side perked up at the attention San was giving them. Seonghwa seemed to always notice his fascination with his feelers, never speaking on it verbally but always bringing them to life in response. San snatched the vial from his hand and retreated as quickly as he could, repressing the curiosity that had begun brewing inside of him again. He was innately analytical of things that were _odd_ , a habit his mother had said he was born with, and Seonghwa’s feelers certainly were _odd_.

“I’ll see you when I return.” San said, tone clipped as he tucked the vial into his pouch, stepping backwards to the denser rock. He didn’t want to turn his back to the Leviathan, not yet- sometimes Seonghwa felt like the predator he was and _now_ was certainly one of those times.

“That’s not an answer.” Seonghwa quipped, not quite relaxing his body but no longer posturing obviously. Seonghwa looked amused as he watched the Elf make it to the large rocks that made up the small slope of the bowl.

San grinned at him, head tilted sweetly in the same manner Seonghwa would, and replied, “There’s an answer there if you look.” 

VI.)

San technically wasn’t allowed to brew potions on his own yet. 

It was perhaps a fact he should’ve told Seonghwa, but he didn’t want to risk losing the deal for information. Besides, his Instructor had left him to close the shop that night and he figured he couldn’t back out now. He already had the information and he had already begun the process days ago; he had long since passed the point of no return.

The shop was quiet, all the books dusty and settled with themselves. The plants had gone to sleep and the windows were all shuttered, the dishes all washed, and the stoves all out. San only had to clean up the work station he was borrowing in order to hide his crimes. No one would know he had broken the rules as he was- not a witness left besides the stars watching him from their perch in the heavens. San figured this was only one more thing on the long list of betrayals. Truly, by now, what was one more?

Standing at the small stove-top iron cauldron, he worked mechanically, working the small amount of liquid around with the bamboo utensil. Seonghwa hadn’t told him how long to brew it for, nor how long he needed to boil it. Everything was just an estimation and a best guess on his part. He wondered what the point in the lack of detail was, if there was any. Did Seonghwa just expect him to know or was the recipe old enough that there was no set measurement? San couldn’t tell and if he was braver, he would’ve asked.

He took the small cauldron off the fire when the potion turned a clear milky white color and the sweet scent of the moonberries mixed with the salty tang of the seaweed filled the area. It wasn’t an unpleasant scent, surprisingly. 

San watched it cool down, the steam slowly dying along with his regrets. Once the liquid no longer steamed and his mind had settled slightly, he ladled it into the vial, careful not to spill a drop. 

He popped the closure in place and held it to the moonlight streaming in through the window with the single broken shutter. He watched as it sloshed around, thin and pretty in the light as though he had trapped a moonbeam in a bottle. He tucked it back into his pouch and cleaned up his mess, locking the shop up all while thinking about the fact that he had finally finished making a deal with a Demon from the water. 

Somehow, he couldn’t find it in him to feel any form of regret.

VII.)

“Keep it.” 

San hadn’t expected that response from Seonghwa, the shock startling him. He stared at the Leviathan with wide eyes and gaping mouth as he attempted to process the manner in which Seonghwa had completely brushed him off. “ _Pardon_?”

“I said,” Seonghwa repeated, crossing his arms over his broad chest, black eyes amused but expression placid, “ _Keep it_.” 

San felt slightly enraged at the dismissal, the anger momentarily taking over him as he stomped into the shallow water and invaded the Leviathan’s space. San wasn’t the largest Elf and, while he was good at fighting in close quarters and hand-to-hand, Seonghwa stood at least two heads taller than San when he was posed like this. San had to crane his head backwards to stare up at the Demon, ignoring the way the black water was staining his pants and creeping up his legs.

Seonghwa’s eyebrows raised in amusement as San jabbed his free hand into the Leviathan’s wet and slick chest, finger barely denting the hard muscle. “You bastard, do you know the trouble I went through? I almost got caught breaking the rules of my apprenticeship for this stupid fucking poiton. You’re ridiculous, this is- this is- you are...”

Seonghwa grinned down at him, clearly amused as San lost his train of thought. He had begun to accidentally admire the feeling of the Leviathan’s skin underneath his single finger and as he had suspected, it was _thick_. The feeling reminded him of the time he dissected a shark, the skin feeling sleek but slightly rough as it caught the skin of his fingers. It felt impenetrable. He jabbed another accusing finger into the skin with a glare that he directed up at the Leviathan grinning down at him. 

“Are you finally ready to finish your questioning?” Seonghwa asked in lieu of teasing him, though San was certain that the question in itself was a taunt.

“Yes, first of all: how dare you?” San asked, cocking his head, though his hand never left the Demon’s chest, “Second of all, what the _fuck_ are you.” 

“I’m a Leviathan, Little Elf.” His chuckle was patronizing and sent a shiver through the Elf that made him wish to curl deeper into the velvet green cloak he wore, the fabric heavy with the water soaking the end. “We covered that.” 

“You’re confusing,” San said flatly, looking across his body quickly and not truly focusing on any _one_ specific detail. “You look like a snake but you have little weird fins and appendages and you feel like a shark- _what the fuck are you_?” 

Seonghwa surprised the Elf by dropping a hand on his head, damp fingers tangling in soft curls as his curved claws scratched his scalp just enough to cause a shiver to over take him. Seonghwa’s fingers curled into his hair and though he did not pull, it was instinctual for San to tip his head back in response to look up at him. “ _I am a Leviathan_ , San.” 

San didn’t like the way he spoke his name, didn’t like the way it rolled from his tongue like fog over a forbidden cove. Enticing. Sinful. _Hungry_. Most of all, San didn’t like the way his body reacted, tingling and warm at the gentle grasp still holding his head hostage.

 _Stay away from the water_. 

The warning rang through his head once again as he stared up into the black eyes of the Leviathan that haunted the cove. He couldn’t heed the warning. Some things happened, San thought, and there was no explanation as to _why_. He had suspected his first encounter with Seonghwa to have been one. Now that was only confirmed. He couldn’t stay away from the water. More specifically, he couldn’t stay away from the Leviathan living there. 

VIII.)

San had begun to sneak away from town whenever he could to visit the water, something that had caught Seonghwa off guard. Since his first breaching of the shoreline, San had begun to move into the water to greet the Leviathan, stirring the surface until the Creature rose from the depths to eat or maim whatever disturbed his slumber. Seonghwa would surface with his teeth bared and eyes focused only to find a sheepish looking Elf every time, twisting his fingers and digging his toes into the sand. 

Every time, Seonghwa would chastise him and every time San would repeat it.

Seonghwa couldn’t find it in himself to actually mind, however.

Since the first time San touched him -willingly, at least- the Little Elf had become far more bold, curiosity overtaking his caution as he occasionally let his eyes and fingers roam the Leviathan as they relaxed in the shallows. 

One of Seonghwa’s favorite times had been when San explored his tail for the first time. The Levithan had stretched it out to its full length and allowed the Elf to explore from the tip to his waist. It had been an oddly intimate moment, his fingers ghosting against white scars that would never heal, the dips between his fins and the cartilage and his spine. He traced the patterns of checkered white against his underbelly and the way his skin faded into the scales with the thick, leathery grey skin. San had absorbed every detail with rapture, leaving Seonghwa tingling for reasons beyond his will to comprehend. He had only stopped him when the Elf had tried to investigate his feelers, the tentacles limp by his waist. San’s fingers had barely brushed the appendages when Seonghwa hissed at him through his teeth, the sound unaggressive but startling. 

“Do not touch those.” Seonghwa ordered plainly with no true bite as San stared at him with wide and inquisitive eyes.

“Why?”

“They are,” Seonghwa paused, looking down at the feelers that curved against him nervously now, as though to hide. “They are _very_ sensitive. They’re traditionally used in open water where we are unable to see. I have been here long enough that my other feelers have slowly disappeared, but these still do remain. They help under the water to also sense temperature changes and shifting currents. When they’re out of the water, however, they’re rather sensitive because of the air.”

San had seemed to think too deeply on the matter, but Seonghwa hadn’t pressed.

Days of visitations passed where San came to sit in the shallows as Seonghwa lounged on the current or rocks, listening to the Elf babble about his life. He quite enjoyed their time together. It was low maintenance company and something to fill his time with other than tending to his garden. San was a mild presence, entertaining and mirthful. Seonghwa truly couldn’t find himself minding his frequent trips, almost looking forward to them instead.

One day when the wildflowers were in full bloom and the weather was warming enough that the Elf began wearing shorter pants and skirts, Seonghwa finally decided to cave to his desire for something more personal, more intimate.

“Little Elf?” He said as San had begun tossing rocks into the blackness. San seemed entertained by the fact that the rocks would splash in the sheet of black, little black droplets flinging into the air, though there was never any glimpse of the underwater world it covered. Seonghwa hadn’t explained the illusion to him, not fully at least. He wanted to surprise the pretty Elf.

San blinked owlishly at him, hand full of small stones as he crouched on the shoreline. “Yeah?” 

Seonghwa hesitated, only briefly. If he initiated this, there was no turning back. Perhaps the Elf would not know the intentions behind his actions nor the use of the potion, but it was still nerve-wracking nonetheless and Seonghwa always saw his actions through to the end. He sighed as he spoke, hoping he didn’t sound as edged as he felt, “Do you still have that potion you made for me?” 

“Yeah?” San’s eyebrows were knitted as though he were picking up the strange emotions Seonghwa was struggling through. San could tell he was turmoiling with something, though the Leviathan would not share.

“On the next full moon, return here with it. I want to show you something.”

Seonghwa anticipated San’s visit for the next two days leading up to the full moon. He had been unusually fussy with his home under the water, carefully rearranging everything and then rearranging it again. He felt as though he were posturing, preening, and it made his chest feel heavy with an emotion he hadn’t felt in a _very_ long time. 

An hour before sunset, Seonghwa was nervously rearranging the rocks outside of the mouth of his home when there was a disturbance on the water's surface. Glancing upwards through the sunbeams that littered the floor, he could make out the vague shape of something four-legged and dark, something decidedly _not_ San.

He moved swiftly to the shallows to stare up at the snout of what appeared to be a horse standing knee deep in the water, cooling off. Seonghwa flitted through the water, debating on if he wished to devour it before San’s arrival, his nerves already fried. When feet appeared in the water next to the horse, Seonghwa’s attention was redirected once again. This person had brilliant pink hair and was splashing about rather rudely, as though they had never heard the tales of the water. Mayhaps they had and just _didn’t care_. 

Either way, Seonghwa was fuming beneath the surface, irritated.

He slipped a bit back, to just before the shallows dropped into the depths, and began to hum. Much like sirens, Leviathan’s could use their voices to lure those unsuspecting souls into the water, his gills flaring as his throat vibrated. The horse responded to the call, wandering into the water complacently until it was swimming. Seonghwa could hear the shouting of its rider as they thrashed to follow in confusion.

Seonghwa reached up and drug the horse below the surface, the animal completely limp as he unhinged his jaw and snapped it shut around its throat. Quickly and efficiently, he killed the poor beast, consuming the meat quickly and dropping leftovers for the fish and sea animals that shared the cove.

As the human paced the shoreline, Seonghwa peered up, allowing only his eyes to become visible over the water's surface. The being stopped, staring directly at him. Seonghwa blinked once and watched as the being fell into the complacency of his allure, wading into the water.

Just as the water reached his shoulders and he nearly started to swim, a shout broke them out. “ _Seonghwa_ ,” San yelled from the shoreline, “Did you order me here to watch you eat someone?” 

Seonghwa cursed and allowed the allure to fall, the being struggling back immediately and thrashing towards shore. Seonghwa waited until they were standing, sopping wet, on the rocks to snap his fingers. They froze, body stiff and facing away from him for a moment before they went completely limp and nearly fell over, as though a doll had been cut from its strings. The being wandered off into the woods in a daze, stumbling occasionally, and certain to have forgotten everything they had seen besides the lingering phrase _stay away from the water_. 

“I did not order you here to watch me eat someone.” Seonghwa said, turning his attention to the Elf completely once the pink hair was lost in the trees completely. He tried to settle both his irritation and the flare of nerves that ate at him at the Elf’s presence. “Although what a romantic date that would have been. We could have eaten dinner together.” 

“Date?” San asked, completely ignoring his offering of cannibalism. Seonghwa snorted, sliding up the grainy mud to leer over the Elf still standing on the smaller rocks. San always looked so small when they stood like this. San was dressed so neatly with his pearly white shirt and thigh length black skirt that flowed loosely. He was tucked up in a lightweight black cloak, an elegant silver brooch pinning it together.

“Did you bring the potion?” Seonghwa asked as he looked over his shoulder to the horizon. Between the split of the cliff and the remnants of the hill, the sun set there every night. It looked as though there were only a few minutes before sunset began, the sky already turning lavender. They had to hurry if they wanted to have the maximum efficiency of the potion. Seonghwa turned back to San, to see the Elf blushing prettily. 

“Yeah,” He mumbled fiddling with the leather harness he wore around his waist. The bottle was tied there, the lid snapped shut as he pulled it out to show off the milky liquid inside. “It’s here.” 

“Good, good,” Seonghwa said, tapping his chin with his fine claws, “Now drink it.”

“What?” San shrieked, looking rapidly between the bottle and Seonghwa as though he were waiting for the Leviathan to say he was teasing him again.

“Drink it.” Seonghwa repeated, voice even and soft. He hoped the Elf had grown to trust him enough by now to follow his instructions. “Just trust me and _drink it_. The recipe is built off of _your_ measurements. You will be safe.”

San looked warily between the Leviathan and the potion, contemplating momentarily, before seeming to give in. He popped the intricate lid open and eyed it cautiously, glancing at the Leviathan one last time. Seonghwa gave him a smile, soft and faint, hoping to be reassuring. San sighed before gulping it down. Seonghwa watched the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed the liquid, eyes partially shut as he focused on his task. His profile was beautiful, his jawline sharp and his nose a perfect curve. San was quite the beautiful Creature. 

He startled the Leviathan out of his admiration with a hiss as he finished the bottle. San must have been surprised at the taste, expression relaxing with a smack of his lips as he looked at Seonghwa again. “That wasn’t awful.”

Seonghwa laughed politely and shook his head lightly, “It wasn’t meant to be. Now come here, we have a sunset to watch while we wait for the effects to kick in.”

San walked out to the Levithan’s outstretched hand, his much smaller fingers curling around the palm of the Creature’s and allowing him to lead the two into the water. Seonghwa settled onto the back of his tail when the water reached San’s chest and curled it under him several times to keep them well above the surface, almost as though he had made a floating chair for himself. He settled the Elf in his lap, back pressed against his chest, hands holding onto the Leviathan’s wrists that settled around his still clothed chest. Seonghwa wondered why he didn’t ever strip before entering the water, but when asked, San had blushed a fierce shade and said that Elves were _far too modest_ for such indecency. Seonghwa found it endearing, the modesty.

The two rocked with the protected current of the cove, watching as the sky turned every shade of purple and pink before melting into the vibrant indigo of dusk. They didn’t speak much, but Seonghwa just appreciated the warmth of his body resting on his chest and the scent of flowers he dragged with him everywhere. It was pleasant, the time they spent rocking together in comfortable silence. Seonghwa found himself wanting to do this _more_. It was when the first star was visible, the magenta hue of the horizon barely clinging, that San made the first strange noise.

“Seonghwa,” He rasped, “What’s happening to me?” 

“The potion is working. It’s had time to settle into your bloodstream and now that night is falling, it is activating.” Seonghwa explained gently, still playing with his fingers, hoping that the action was placating to his nerves.

“What did you give me?” San choked, body beginning to tremble as something that bordered fear overtook him. 

“My Little Elf,” Seonghwa said into his hair, voice soft, “May I show you my home?” 

San choked on the air just as another star became visible and the last magenta faded into the sweet indigo and navy of night. It was time.

Seonghwa held the Elf tightly as he uncoiled his tail, clinging the small Creature to his chest as he adjusted to swim backwards out to the water. 

“San,” He said quietly into his ear as the Elf was tense and shaking still, “Please trust me.”

San’s trimmed nails scraped uselessly at his arm as he continued to choke. Seonghwa slowly sunk the two into the water, still cradling the Elf to his chest. San thrashed for a minute in his hold when the water overtook his head, but it was ultimately pointless considering the grip the Leviathan had on him was all encompassing. 

“San,” Seonghwa said, voice vibrating and bubbling under the water, slightly distorted, “ _Breathe_. The potion is for temporary gills.”

San looked up at him, wide eyed and confused. Seonghwa continued to cradle him against his chest as the two floated just beneath the surface. San’s instincts finally kicked in and forced him to breathe, thrashing momentarily before he seemed to accept Seonghwa’s words as fact. 

Seonghwa relaxed and let the Elf shift in his arms. His mouth moved momentarily as he attempted to think through the words he wanted to speak, a slight worry carrying in his expression that Seonghwa assumed meant he feared he wouldn’t be able to underwater. 

“I want to show you my world.” Seonghwa said, voice strange underwater. San looked at him with an odd expression, unreadable. “Your vision will kick in soon and you’ll be able to see under here. Until then, let us just watch the moonrise. We have all night.”

There was a second where Seonghwa was concerned that the Elf would back out, but then he relaxed entirely, body melting back against his chest. San lounged against his body, shifting onto his back so he could stare up at the sky with wonder as the stars and moon became visible. From underneath, the illusion Seonghwa had cast was invisible, the crystal clear water shifting sweetly with the mild current that rocked their body’s soothingly. Occasionally, a bat or two would pass above them, their shadows barely visible until they passed the light of the full moon. 

Once San turned to look up at Seonghwa, signalling that he could finally see clearly, Seonghwa rolled them over. San struggled momentarily as he was faced with the endless abyss, but Seonghwa turned the two to be chest to chest and vertical, his tail keeping them afloat. 

“Do not be scared, my Little Elf,” He said softly, voice far more melodic though without any of his allure, “I know you have fear, but it is misplaced. You fear not of the water but rather of what is _in_ the water. The mystery of the water scares so many. But you, my Little Elf, are wrapped up with the most dangerous thing the depths have to offer and you lack the fear of me. Please, allow me to show you all the water has to offer.”

San grew limp in his grasp, eyes wide and focused on him. He took it as permission. He rolled the Elf to face away from him before leading him through the depths, tail slithering through the darkness languidly. He didn’t want to rush their journey through the water- he wanted San to explore the cove he called home at least once. The ocean at night was dark, but with the full moon above them, the floor was lit up enough to make everything shady but visible, even more so with the enhanced vision. 

Seonghwa looked over San’s shoulder to study his expression, relieved to find him admiring the surroundings. The night-dwelling fish were meandering in lazy motions, hunting for bugs near the surface or whatever poor crustacean had not hidden well enough before sundown. The seaweed and corals swayed in tandem with the currents, dancing with their environment politely. Everything was serene, peaceful, welcoming. Seonghwa hoped that San’s fear was melting away the more they adventured.

When they made it to the soft ocean floor, Seonghwa became a little more anxious again, rolling over to make San face him again. The elf looked at him with a tilt of the head, still unsure how to speak under the water. Seonghwa felt as though he were blushing, but he wasn’t sure if San could see it in the bleached light the moon provided.

“I-I have never brought anyone to my home before,” He admitted, glancing around as he hoped the insecurity didn’t reveal itself as it had tried to. “Please…Just…”

San knocked his head against the Leviathan’s chest gently when it seemed as though he had lost his words. The action was pacifying, chasing away the insecurity that lingreed behind his words easily. Seonghwa was grateful, nuzzling his nose into the floating hair that felt as soft and free as the seaweed he tended. The two separated after a moment of the comforting affection, Seonghwa flipping him over to carry him through the water again. San occasionally peered back to watch his tail flicking back and forth in smooth slithering motions not unlike a marine-snakes would, fascinated by the sight. It made Seonghwa smile. 

The mouth of his cave was a pretty arch in the crags of the ruined foothill, surrounded by a neatly cared for coral patch with seaweed growing on the roof and sides. Seonghwa tended to his garden with patient hands and many hours and he hoped the care was visible in the neat display. Seonghwa paused to look at San to try and gauge his reaction, but San missed his eye as he was admiring the sleeping coral. 

Seonghwa’s chest heated at the unintentional praise San had given him. The Leviathan once again felt as though he were preening for the Elf and perhaps he actually was.

When Seonghwa tugged him inside the mouth, San looked hesitant at entering the darkness but allowed him to lead the two inside. Seonghwa’s cave was in the pile of rubble from the shattered half of the foothill, the entire inside smoothed with his magic as he created a system of tunnels and rooms. Seonghwa led San upwards to what he considered his bedroom, equipped with a ledge out of water that Seonghwa often used to just bathe in the sunlight when he didn’t wish to leave his home. There was a collection of seashells and gems and pearls alike on one crevice of the wall, glittering palely under the moonlight. A large cradled shaped stone with layers of night blooming sea moss took up the entirety of the side opposite to the ledge, Seonghwa’s bed for when the sea wasn’t as relaxing and the openness not as inviting. The last detail of the room was a hole in the roof between two large slabs of slate that led to the outside world and shone the perfect amount of light into the room. 

Seonghwa’s favorite decoration of his room was the bioluminescent moss he had cultivated over the years, caring for it with whatever time he could spend on it. It grew from several ledges and between slabs of slate and around the joint between the walls and the ceiling. He adored the soft blue and green that illuminated the area when the moon and sun could not fill it. They were truly his pride and he hoped that San would like it as well.

He watched as San admired it, eyes trailing over the plants with barely contained awe. He swam forward, fingers gently stroking the soft plants and their blossoms. After a moment, San looked as though he wished to speak, so Seonghwa gripped his hand and drug him to the air pocket at the top of the room near the hole that revealed the moon and the rock ledge. The air pocket allowed for their heads to emerge from the water, but their gills to stay submerged, and San made several odd gasping attempts as he struggled to figure out that he was currently in the physical form of an aquatic being. 

When he seemed to get a hold of himself, he finally spoke, “You live here?”

“This is my bedroom,” Seonghwa said quietly, feeling almost shy. “So, yes. I do live here.”

San looked around, the still water lapping around them in quiet, echoing sounds. “It’s beautiful. It looks so much scarier from the outside.”

“It’s supposed to,” Seonghwa said after a second, reaching forward to help the Elf as he noticed he began to tread harder to stay afloat. Seonghwa tugged him closer, buoying him above the water by his waist but keeping a polite distance between the two. He wanted to hug the Elf back to his chest as he had done so on the way there, but he respected the fact that San was more modest in terms of blatant and purposeless closeness. “I do not like uninvited guests.”

“The water is black from the surface,” San sounded breathless, awed by the discovery, “Like, _entirely black_.”

“It’s an illusion,” Seonghwa said slowly, a part of him wondering if he should be giving away his personal secrets as he was. “If I wished it so, I could turn the whole cove into nothing but the same pitch darkness the surface tells you it is, but I like the clear water. I like the sea the way she was designed to be.”

“You know you’re not really...Scary.” San said suddenly, voice honest but shy. Seonghwa looked at him skeptically beneath the moonlight and the glow of the luminescence. His fingers found the Leviathan’s shoulders as his treading slowed down, allowing himself to trust the fact that Seonghwa wouldn’t drown him, wouldn’t _kill him_. Everything tonight had been about San’s trust in him and Seonghwa’s heart soared as the Elf continually put his faith in him. “If you didn’t eat everyone that touched the water you wouldn’t actually be that bad.” 

Seonghwa tugged him closer on a primal instinct. San only watched with wide, dark eyes that were blown out from the potions effects. Seonghwa bared his teeth -one set of his teeth at least-, the sharpness of them designed to tear through flesh and bone with little effort. San watched as he traced his tongue over them, dipping the muscle between the creases of his teeth, before smiling. “I do not eat _everyone_ that touches the water.”

“No,” San said quietly, eyes falling to Seonghwa’s again, though this time his expression was unreadable to the Leviathan. Seonghwa didn’t know what emotion he was expressing, but it made his heart shake in his chest. “I suppose you don’t.”

IX.)

By the time summer hit, San held little to no fear of the water any longer. Rather, he held a great deal of excitement as he took Amyre to the water's edge to visit his Creature. Visiting Seonghwa had become a favorite pastime of his, any leftover time from his apprenticeship spent with the Leviathan. 

That day was no different, San sliding off of the horses back at the beginning of the rocks, no longer afraid that Seonghwa would eat his stead. San made it up and over the rocky line to the shoreline with now practiced ease, though disappointment hit him at the lack of the Leviathan sunbathing. Seonghwa had taken to lounging in the sunbeams during the day, but San supposed it probably was far too hot for that today. 

He fiddled with his cloak for a second before shrugging it off onto the rocks and stepping into the water. He wore loose brown shorts today that cinched at his waist over the silky blouse he wore, the laces loose and revealing more of his chest than normal. When he wore something with more coverage he felt as though he were boiling alive, so he had taken to wearing more revealing clothes beneath silk capes. The water felt refreshing as he waded into it; it was the first time he would get the relief of the coolness in summer besides from the rushing river that ran through their city. Typically they suffered through it and dealt with the strong currents of the river instead of risking whatever was in the water to the east.

San shivered as the water met his waist, knowing the Leviathan was watching him from somewhere beneath the entirely black depths. No light shone off the surface, no reflections of himself or anything else could be seen. It also meant the shadows beneath the surface were entirely invisible. 

The Leviathan could’ve been within arms reach and he would never be the wiser.

For some reason, the realization sent a horrible shiver through him that pooled in his stomach and tingled in his thighs. The idea of being stalked beneath the surface, studied without knowledge, being _hunted_ , sent a thrill through him that he hadn’t expected. Ever since Seonghwa had taken him into his home, San had found himself far too enthralled with the Leviathan in a far more intimate way. Seonghwa would bring him small gifts when he visited, little pearls or gems or pretty rocks. Sometimes he brought iridescent shells or rounded seaglass or even a lost artifact. It made San blush warmly every time as the Leviathan purred in response to his approval. San was beginning to feel as though he was being courted more than teased. 

With the sweetness, though, came the inevitable desire. Someone taking care of him, flaunting for him, wooing him- it left him breathless and warm and occasionally waking in the night with clenched thighs and cum stained shorts.

He tried to will his mind away from the thought as the heat in his abdomen grew far warmer than the muggy summer air, but there was little to distract him. That was until the surface broke a little ways away, two big, dark eyes staring at him from beneath a flat black fringe. San almost sighed in relief at the distraction, though the expression the Leviathan studied him with made the heat grow just a slight bit warmer. 

San watched the Leviathan dip back below the surface line and all was deadly still for a second before a fin broke through next. A shark dorsal fin, San noted. He watched as it peaked, slicing the water as he swam back and forth before turning towards San and heading in his direction. As the fin came towards him it slowly slipped back beneath the water silently, which left him wanting to scream in frustration. 

Whatever game Seonghwa was playing with him today, it was unwelcomed entirely. 

San’s body was reacting _horribly_ to the situation and he attempted not to glance down knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see the way he was half hard beneath the surface. A strangely exposed shiver wrecked through him as he realized that Seonghwa would be able to see it, the thought making his knees knock together slightly. 

San nearly screeched when fingers wrapped around his ankles loosely, the feeling of claws gently scraping the back of his calves. San was wobbly, arms flailing, but the grasp kept him steady on his feet while he did so. When he no longer felt terrified, his heart racing with the adrenaline, the hands slowly curved up his legs to his thighs where they stayed as Seonghwa’s eyes emerged again. 

“Not funny,” San said, staring down at him with what he hoped was a glare. He suspected the blush on his cheeks made him far less intimidating than he wished to be. “You’re not funny.”

Seonghwa didn’t emerge further but his fingers dug into the fleshy part of his thigh deeper and it made San’s breath hitch. There was only a light pinch to his skin from the tips of the claws and it did nothing to settle his frying nerves. He crossed his arms and looked away, “You’re so annoying.”

Seonghwa finally rose enough to speak, voice meddling but also genuinely interested, “Do I arouse you?” 

San spluttered, flailing in his grip slightly. He seemed to have caught the Leviathan off guard enough that he broke his grasp, falling back into the water with a cry. He was submerged for only a second before Seonghwa fished him back out, now upright in the water rather than floating. San was always keenly aware of the size Seonghwa had on him when in this form, his eyes barely at pec level. Seonghwa held him by his biceps, looking down at him with an inquisitive expression. “Do I?”

“Quit asking me that,” San said, struggling weakly against his grip, fist hitting his chest with no result of impact. He couldn’t escape, the Leviathan holding him more securely now as he dripped seawater dejectedly. San looked away from him, eyes landing on the crags exposed by the low tide. “Don’t ask me questions like that.”

“Elves are so...conservative.” Seonghwa sighed, dipping down to meet his eyes. San couldn’t avoid his gaze, his eyes falling back to the Leviathan’s. He felt as though the air had left his body as those black eyes assessed him with something so _dark_ it made him feel naked down to his bones. “I do so wish you would just tell me the things you want.”

“I want you to let me go,” San said meekly, body on fire as he felt far too close to the Leviathan. Suddenly the lack of space was _too much_ and _not enough_ again. How could his body feel so confusing when everything was so clear? San couldn’t figure it out, but his heart was racing and his skin burned where the Leviathan held him and the taste of the saltwater on his lips wasn’t as awful as he had once thought it would be.

“Tell me what you want, Little Elf.” Seonghwa’s voice was compelling, though there was no pull of magic to it. San just found Seonghwa alluring naturally and that made his chest ache. “Just tell me the truth and it will be yours. You must only ask.”

San thought for a moment, pondered on his options. He had woken up several times now to soiled pants or half formed fantasies about what the Leviathan _could_ do to him. It was sick, he thought, to be lusting after the man-eating monster, but it had been months by now of him being unable to rid himself of the feelings that clung to him like an omen.

He shouldn’t ask for anything; he should ask the Leviathan to let him go and he should head back to town and heed the warning _stay away from the water_. He should follow his people’s rules that were in place to protect them. 

He should leave. 

San wasn’t good at doing what he was supposed to, though.

Instead, he went lax in the Leviathan’s grasp, bones seeming to dissipate from his body. He stared up at Seonghwa with barely contained greed and from his mouth fell the truth:

“ _Please kiss me_.”

Seonghwa didn’t wait for much else, dipping down and catching his lips, making the Elf whimper. His lips were soft and warm, completely unexpectedly; San had thought it would feel much like kissing a fish, cold and _hard_. Seonghwa’s lips were plush, full and gentle against his own. He tasted like saltwater and his lips were slick, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

San was certain he was shaking like a leaf in the breeze but he couldn’t really connect his mind to his body, completely distracted by the way Seonghwa’s lips moved over his own. He parted San’s easily, tongue slipping out to trace against the seam of his lips lightly. San lost his ability to stand at that, collapsing entirely in the Leviathan’s grasp and just trusting that he would keep him afloat. Seonghwa didn’t seem to mind, rather just collecting him in his arms and slipping the two backwards in the water. San didn’t pay attention to where they were going, too focused on chasing the feeling of his tongue still.

Seonghwa floated in the open water with San straddling what he thought would be considered his lap, legs dangling into the open water, though his feet would occasionally clamour up to his tail for support. Seonghwa’s hands held his waist and kept his hips pressed firmly against his so the Elf could grind on him as he sobbed into his mouth. San knew he was making some awfully embarrassing sounds, but he couldn’t focus on being quiet when Seonghwa’s tongue had begun tracing his lips again.

It was overwhelming being surrounded by open water, open air, open forest, and being in such a vulnerable position. San was trembling, fingers slipping over the rough yet smooth skin of his chest and shoulders as he attempted to maintain some kind of composure. His nails simply skidded over the thick skin, leaving no trace behind that he had even scratched at him. Seonghwa felt impenetrable, invincible. 

Their lips parted when San could no longer focus on the kiss, practically crying as he rutted against the Leviathan. It should be shameful, the way he fell apart from something as simple as _kissing_ , but at this point there were so many things wrong with his situation he couldn’t find it in him to actually be embarrassed. He allowed himself the pleasure of rutting his clothed hips against Seonghwa’s lap, the feeling of the wet fabric exotic and new. It was rough, almost _too much_ , but it just made the tears gather along his lashline quicker as he panted into the Leviathan’s neck.

Seonghwa’s lips kissed his ear as the Elf continued to rock against him desperately, chasing his high. He felt high already, as though he were floating amongst the seaweed at the bottom of the sea. Maybe Seonghwa had actually killed him when they first met and San was just living some fucked up fantasy that his dying brain created. He didn’t mind, not when his body felt as though it were being swallowed by flames or perhaps a gaping mouth ready to inhale him.

“Oh, my sweet Little Elf,” Seonghwa’s voice was gravelly, as though he had been drug from hell to earth just to torment San in that moment, “You could be _devoured_ like this.” 

San whimpered and bit at the Leviathan’s collarbone as he came, the words tipping him over as he sobbed through it. He could feel the warmth of his cum mixing with the slight bit of water pooled on Seonghwa’s tail and it created an awfully obscene sensation in his shorts. It made him drop his head into the crook of the Leviathan’s neck, hoping to hide from the shame of his actions and revel in the post orgasm relief that flooded his veins.

When he finally settled down and returned to his body, the Levithan chuckled and wrapped him up comfortably with his arms, rocking the two with the current gently. San was silent for a while, listening to the sounds of the ocean and the beating of their hearts. The first time San had heard the Leviathan’s heartbeat he had thought it was an odd experience. He hadn’t expected Demon’s to have heartbeats, though reasonably, he should have. Now the sound was comforting, the sound a reminder that he was now _close_ to this Leviathan.

“Oh, Little Elf,” Seonghwa spoke after a while, voice deep in his chest and making San wiggle to bury his face deeper into the skin he rested on. “What have you done?”

What _had_ he done? 

X.) 

If San had gone home with any form of shame or regret clinging to him from the first time he kissed Seonghwa, it hadn’t remained long. Kissing Seonghwa had become a favorite habit of his, a hobby truly. Since the first time he had been able to level out his physical responses, no longer feeling as though he would explode from the simplest touches. That was to say, he had at least stopped hardening at the closeness but rather the Leviathan’s seemingly incessant need to rile him up. Seonghwa found too much joy from torturing the Elf, doing what he could to continually find new ways to break him down bit by bit. 

Despite his complaints, San didn’t mind. 

The manner in which the Leviathan would handle him had blossomed under his skin with a vengeance, growing in wry ivy around his body and making itself known at the worst of times. He liked the taunting manner that Seonghwa addressed him, the slightly mockery of him and his sensitive nature; Seonghwa had a way of speaking to San that wasn’t quite degrading, but made him feel exposed down to his every last nerve and vibrant dream. It was overwhelming in all the right ways and made San feel as though he were floating in the clouds, head and chest light as he was always consumed by the poisoned honey Seonghwa fed to him from his tongue.

It was embarrassing to think, but he liked the way the Leviathan easily took control of him, using size and sheer amusement to control him. San wouldn’t say it out loud, but he felt as though the Leviathan knew. Seonghwa seemed to know most things about the Elf without him having to admit them and it _should_ have bothered him that he was such an open book. San still didn’t think he was good at doing what he _should_.

Everything came to a peak one summer day that was scorching the earth and definitely unfit for San to be roaming around in the day. The desire to see Seonghwa was stronger than his displeasure with the heat, though, and he had made his way through the forest hiding his skin from the aggressive and angry solar gods under a silk cape and hoped to make it to the water before heatstroke stole him. The sun had eaten away at a majority of the canopy, the leaves dulling and dry in a cacophony of yellowish shades as the flowers wilted and the animals hid. San shouldn’t have been roaming, life itself was hiding that day.

He wasn’t sure how it had happened, or what had even actually happened, but _something_ spooked his stead. Amyre bolted without warning, knocking an unaware San from the saddle with a startled cry. San hadn’t actually processed he was falling until he was midair, voice barely escaping his throat before he hit the ground. He landed on the dry grass and broken twigs with a force harder than he felt necessary, immediate pain shooting up his shoulder and hip and knee, throbbing with an angry presence. San had been taught from a young age how to fall from a horse without injury, the tuck and roll system ingrained him off of instinct by now, and he had used it many of times prior. Today, though, he hadn’t had the chance to catch himself nor to roll with the momentum. His body had taken the full force of the impact and he could _feel_ the results. San could only roll around and moan for a minute, attempting to convince himself to look at his wounds.

When he finally gathered the courage to assess the damage, he felt as though he were going to cry. His knee had scraped against a stray rock hidden beneath the dead grass and the shadows of half-baked forest canopy, tearing a jagged and bleeding wound across his knee and thigh. Matching that, further up his thigh around his hip, he had landed on his hourglass, the glass shards embedding themselves in the soft flesh, glittering in the light innocently. The wound was large and bleeding profusely, already bruising around the edges. San almost began sobbing at the idea of being stranded here like this. He was grateful nothing felt or looked broken, but his shoulder ached and the stress of the situation was setting in.

He couldn’t walk, Amyre was gone, and there was at least another ten minute ride to the water. He shifted to try and kneel but as soon as he applied any sort of pressure to the leg, excruciating pain shot up through it and jarred his whole body, rattling around in his head as though he were a bell. He collapsed back to the dead earth, body quivering with shock as tears finally came stinging to his eyes.

He didn’t know what to do, entirely lost with his misery and agony. 

There was no population for at least an hour in any direction besides forwards, Seonghwa the only sentient life form nearby.

“Seonghwa,” He wailed, voice broken and raspy. There was no other option but to hope the Leviathan would hear his duress. His voice wasn’t loud enough, he knew that, but there wasn’t another way around it. It was garbled and wet and sounded more like he was crying than he was calling for help. Still, he tried again, “ _Seonghwa_!” 

San called about four more times before giving up and sobbing to himself in the silence of the forest. The sun’s heat was a welcomed feeling, keeping his body warm instead of falling into shock. He let himself focus on the feeling of it rather than the steady trickle of blood and tears. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but the pain was _unbearable_. He had broken his fair share of bones in his life, even had some extreme burns from incorrect potion brewing -and one from a stupid dare of jumping over a bonfire that he had drunkenly accepted- but none of them compared to _this_. 

San was so lost in his misery he had completely missed the sound of the footsteps approaching until they were at his feet. “Oh, Little Elf,” a familiar voice sighed, almost patronizingly, “What happened to you?” 

San looked up from his hands to eye Seonghwa standing there just… _watching_ him. Seonghwa stood tall and proud in his fully humanoid form, but the Elf couldn’t focus enough to appreciate the beauty that he was like this. San was sure he looked like a mess, face puffy and snotty, covered fully in tears and pain. Seonghwa didn’t look sympathetic, rather he looked _amused_ and slightly pitiful. San was sure he looked more and more like easy prey the longer Seonghwa studied him. San didn’t mind, long since accustomed to Seonghwa’s apathetic take on pain and suffering. 

“Seonghwa,” He sobbed, relief flooding him at the sight of the Leviathan, “I can’t stand.” 

“Oh, Little Elf.” He sighed again, voice fond and airy. Seonghwa squatted and positioned his arms carefully to cradle San beneath his knees and under his shoulderblades. Seonghwa held him tightly to his bare chest and spoke softly into his hair, “Let me help you.”

Seonghwa was so careful with San that, for a moment, San forgot he wasn’t an Elf as well. He had walked so smoothly over land as though he wasn’t a mostly-aquatic bound Creature. He moved without bounce, stutter, or sway, holding San entirely still and comfortable against his chest. San wasn’t jostled or shifted even once, keeping the pain down to a steady throbbing as he attempted not to move around. San focused on the sound of his heartbeat, even and steady, to distract himself from the aching in his body, ear pressed against the Leviathan’s warm and entirely human skin.

They had reached the water quickly, Seonghwa settling San into a crook in the sand that seemed to form upon request. He was nestled in the soft sand comfortingly as though the ocean were attempting to chase the pain from him, brushing his toes gently. The black abyss that lapped at him was no longer terrifying, not when he watched the Creature in front of him wade into it and disappear underneath the surface. 

Seonghwa would keep him safe. 

The thought was so reassuring that San felt the stress melt from him, knowing that whatever Seonghwa was planning he would be taken care of. Seonghwa emerged moments later, still in his humanoid form, carrying a vial of clear liquid and some long strands of flat, wide seaweed. 

“Sannie, my Little Elf,” Seonghwa said when he kneeled next to San in the sand, “Allow me to treat your wounds.” 

San nodded silently when it was clear that Seonghwa wouldn’t continue without his permission. He distracted himself with the feeling of the water on his feet as the Leviathan gently reached out to hold his leg, fingers so light that it was clear he was trying not to hurt him any further. Seonghwa hummed as he assessed the wound through the holes in his pants, setting his supplies down on San’s uninjured thigh. “I’m going to rip your pants and remove the glass first. Is that okay, San?” 

San nodded, unable to speak, tongue trapped against the roof of his mouth. Seonghwa took that as permission enough and reached for the damaged leg, shredding the fabric with his claws easily. San just watched as the entirety of his thigh up to his hip was revealed. Normally, he would shy away immediately, try to conserve whatever modesty he had left. He didn’t, though; he only whimpered as Seonghwa eyed the glass again. Seonghwa looked up to San and then back to the glass before seeming to think of something. He looked unfocused momentarily, lost in thought as San just waited patiently for him to decide what to do.

“San,” Seonghwa said quietly, looking up to him. San realized belatedly that Seonghwa had been shifting, his teeth no longer blunt and humanoid but instead longer, sharper, his canines curved much like a snakes. He spoke with a slight lisp, though his tone was soothing all the same, “May I inject you with a light paralytic? It is to relax your muscles so you will experience less pain while I am treating you.”

San normally would have denied; he didn’t like the concept of being out of control of his body, especially not while being near the water. He figured, however, that he was already immobile and unable to move- the paralytic would render his body no more useless than it already was. San nodded again, unable to speak as he focused on keeping relaxed. Seonghwa accepted his confirmation again and lifted his thin wrist to his mouth, pricking him with the fangs of his that had grown and changed shape. 

The paralytic was fast acting, rendering him boneless quickly as he slumped against the forgiving sand. It didn’t make him numb or frozen, but rather made his nerves shut down and muscles loosen to the point of uselessness. Once he was a puddle against the ground, Seonghwa removed the glass carefully, but the Elf barely felt it. 

Then Seonghwa picked up the vial, popping it open and then pouring the clear liquid over his thigh carefully. Immediately, San could feel the difference, the area no longer feeling taut and heavy. 

“It’s purified salt water,” Seonghwa said as he continued to drizzle it into the wound, “From my cave. It’s been enchanted under the moonlight. It’s what I use to heal my own wounds when I am injured for whatever reason.”

San couldn’t move, couldn’t let the Leviathan know he heard him, but Seonghwa didn’t seem to need verbal confirmation of such. He simply continued until the bottle was empty. Then he moved to the seaweed, laying it flat against the area the wound was in and pressing it there. “This kelp should sink in momentarily and create essentially a second skin as a bandage to help it heal. Once you are home, peel it off to remove it.”

Seonghwa finished up his tending to San, fretting over the other areas of his body that he had injured until every wound had been assessed and addressed. It felt comfortable, Seonghwa taking care of him like this. Despite Seonghwa’s apathetic approach, there was a clear concern and carefulness to his actions that made San feel cared for, warming his chest. 

When Seonghwa finished, there was a fear in San that he would leave, but instead the Leviathan curled up next to him in the small cradle the sand formed. San was painfully aware of the Leviathan’s nakedness, his body entirely aligned with his own. Like this, without injury and panic overtaking his thoughts, San could finally appreciate the beauty that was _Seonghwa_. Seonghwa’s skin was a rich honey color when he was in his humanoid form, body toned and still taller than San by a little bit. His features were softer like this, more rounded and less harsh, his hooked nose sweeter and his cheeks fuller. He was undeniably beautiful and it made San all the more nervous with the way he was pressed against him. 

Seonghwa snuck a toned arm beneath his head, pulling him to his chest and holding him there. San was certain he could feel the bashfulness rolling off of him, but the Leviathan, as always, didn’t seem to mind his modesty. “The paralytics will wear off soon, then you’ll be able to move and speak and you’ll have to tell me how your leg is feeling.” San couldn’t respond but Seonghwa didn’t expect him to, “I hope you do not mind me holding you until then.”

San wanted to say he could hold him for as long as he wanted, but again, no voice left his throat. 

The sun was high in the sky, beating down on the two, though San didn’t feel as stressed about it as he had earlier in the day. It was nice now that he was bathed in the cool sand and had the water lapping at his ankles as the tide came in. The sun and Seonghwa kept him warm as his body began to heal, slowly but surely. 

The sun had fallen between the split in the cliff by the time that San could move his limbs again, though he still felt groggy and weak, barely able to raise his hands. 

He used his small amount of strength to roll rather clumsily onto the Leviathan’s chest, staring up at him with languid, hooded eyes. Seonghwa stared back, chest rising and falling, honey skin displayed with little to no shame. San was blatantly aware of his nakedness again, of all the exposed skin pressed against his wet clothes. The thought brought heat to his cheeks, one that Seonghwa focused on acutely.

“You saved me,” San mumbled with a cotton filled mouth, watching as the Leviathan blinked up at him in response.

“For the second time,” Seonghwa added, a grin just barely curving his soft features, “Not that I am keeping track, however.”

San’s eyebrows knitted as he stared at him for a long second. Finally, he asked the question on the tip of his tongue, “ _Why_?”

The moment they were in felt liminal, as though they were on the precipice of change. Seonghwa blinked multiple times before his arms slithered tighter around San and held him closer. It almost felt as though Seonghwa were afraid that if he answered honestly that San might leave and San’s chest ached with the thought. He let the Leviathan cradle him to his chest, expression growing slightly guarded as he answered in a voice as open and vast as the ocean itself, “I fear I’ve grown...attached.” 

“I thought your kind doesn’t do attachment?” San asked softly, hoping it wasn’t offensive or prying. He had been under the impression that Leviathan’s were entirely solitary Creatures, refusing any and all company.

Seonghwa shrugged, looking sheepish as he considered San’s reactions carefully. “Some do not. Others do. We are solitary Creatures by nature, but not all of us live as such. Some mate for life.”

San felt hollowed from the information and the subtle implication behind it. “And you?”

Seonghwa paused for a moment long enough that San thought he would not respond. When he did, however, his voice was soft and almost vulnerable sounding and it made San’s body warm from much more than the sun. “I used to think I would never wish to share my time with someone, let alone share my life.”

“Has that changed?” San was prodding, he knew, but there was a burning feeling in his chest and fingers that left him craving the answer.

Seonghwa didn’t answer again, not for a long moment. Instead he dragged the Elf up his chest and stole a kiss. It was sweet, the kiss; slow and over before San fully even registered it. His lips were dryer than normal and tasted like sunlight and salt, though less like that of the ocean and more like he had been sweating. San realized it was notable because he was unused to Seonghwa being in such a humanoid form. Seonghwa tasted almost human like this and it felt _odd_ , not entirely unpleasant but just so different from what he was used to. His lips moved the same, however, sweet and prying and working San into a fluffy mess. 

When Seonghwa pulled away San felt dazed, light and airy. The paralytic was still making his movements slow and lazy though he didn’t mind- this didn’t feel rushed anyways. There was no _need_ to rush. San had responsibilities in town and he would have to return eventually, but they all seemed far less important than this- than _Seonghwa._

The Leviathan was studying him with amber colored eyes, his cheeks flushed a sweet peach color that was unfamiliar to him. He looked impish in his human form, sweet and mischievous and entirely alluring by nature. San felt like molasses when he spoke next,“I think it has.”

San wasn’t sure how to process the emotions filling his chest at the confession so instead of doing so, he did what he knew best: he slid up the Leviathan’s chest and found his lips with little effort.

Kissing Seonghwa was always a pleasure, San thought. His lips were always soft and warm and his fingers would press into his body so gently that San felt like something fragile, something special. Seonghwa kissed him as though he were one of the finest treasures in his cove. His movements were always precise and mind-numbing, intentionally working San into whatever mumbling mess he could create. He took care in the way he handled him and it made San feel slightly disoriented as though he had fallen into another world without realizing. Perhaps this world _was_ different- the water was nothing similar to his town after all. 

They kissed until San felt heady, his body still acutely aware of Seonghwa’s nakedness and the heat that emanated off of him. Seonghwa took his eagerness for what it was and rolled onto his side to slot their legs together. The tide had come in significantly since they had first laid down, their small cradle in the sand becoming a puddle, the waves lapping at their legs joyously. It felt like the water was celebrating.

It felt unusual holding Seonghwa like this, San thought, far more used to feeling the slick body of the Leviathan’s natural form. Still, his free hand traveled the Leviathan’s body, tracing the curves of his muscles and the shape of his waist. He was built beautifully, like a swimmer; slim waist, long legs, broad shoulders. He was lithe, muscular, and _beautiful_. 

San wondered if this was what he would look like as an Elf. The realization that Seonghwa could _show_ him what he looked like as an Elf hit him in the chest with a weird pang. Seonghwa was a shapeshifter; he could show him literally _anything_ he asked. The realization made him tremble in his arms with an unnamed emotion bordering longing, one that Seonghwa picked up on immediately. 

“What are you thinking about, Little Elf?” He asked when they parted, barely a lips width apart. San could feel his breath fanning over the sensitive skin of his mouth and cheeks and it made his head feel as though it were full of clouds and dandelion fluff.

“Nothing,” San said shyly, tugging away from the Leviathan slightly as he attempted to regain a mild sense of self.

“Do not lie to me,” Seonghwa demanded, tugging him forwards again, not allowing for the Elf to fall back into his timid shell. “If you lie to me, I will just have to force you into admitting your sins.”

San trembled again, fingers digging into his chest where they had landed as he scrambled to collect his thoughts. Seonghwa raised an eyebrow as he seemed to catch up with San’s thinking despite the Elf’s desperate wish to hide them. “Would you like that, Little Elf?” Seonghwa pressed forward again, kissing his forehead, temple, and finally under eye before whispering against his cheek, “Are you thinking about the ways in which I could control you? The power I have over you?” 

San wasn’t before, but he certainly was _now_. 

San made a soft sound as Seonghwa flipped him to his back and climbed between his legs in one fluid motion. San tried not to look at the curve of his chest or the slimness of his waist or the lines of his abs, because he knew his eyes would land somewhere that he _shouldn’t_ be looking. San looked to the sky, the dusty blue cloudless sky behind Seonghwa’s head, instead and prayed to maintain composure. 

Seonghwa pressed his crotch fully to San’s and it made him shudder against the sand, body reacting to everything belatedly. He wondered when the paralytic would fully process through and allow him control of his body once again. He doubted that even without the paralytic that he would be able to resist everything the Leviathan was offering, the thought raising the temperature of his body once again. 

“My dear Little Elf,” Seonghwa breathed heavily into his neck, voice sounding rough, “Would it please you to know that I _do_ wish to mate you? To breed you?”

 _Nothing_ could have prepared San for that line of thought, nor the way his body absolutely shuddered against the earth in response. He hadn’t ever thought about it before he met Seonghwa; San had had sexual partners, sure, but they had all been fairly plain encounters. _This_ felt like a far cry from _plain_. San had admittedly thought about what sex with the Leviathan would be like, but he had pointedly ignored the contemplation of mating, of _breeding_. 

Now, though, San found his mind overcome with the thought; his mind entirely full of how the Leviathan would take him with the entire intention of keeping him. “ _oh fuck_.”

“I don’t wish to have you leave either,” Seonghwa pulled back, still grinding against him, the two panting heavily. San was relieved that the Leviathan looked as ruined by the thought as he felt, his cheeks flushed and eyes distant as he held him tightly. “I wish to keep you for a very long while, my Little Elf.” 

“I-I don’t want to leave,” San panted back, unable to do much except accept the way Seonghwa rolled against him in fluid motions. He was fully hard now, straining against the remainder of his shredded pants. The wet cotton was a familiar texture by now, the amount of times San had gotten off in this manner with the Leviathan uncountable. Still, this time felt _different_ , almost heightened, as though just the concept of being mated and bred lit his body alive with a new life. “I don’t want _this_ to end.”

“Then it doesn’t have to,” Seonghwa pressed a soft kiss to the side of his mouth, tongue swiping into the crease of his lips just enough to make him want to chase it when it retreated, “Then it _doesn’t have to_.”

San gasped when the Leviathan shifted fully between his legs a new kind of friction applied making the Leviathan purr in his ear. Seonghwa’s purr wasn’t like a cat’s, but rather like an alligator’s. The vibrations were rolling and echoed through the hollows of San’s own chest with an eye rolling sensation. San’s hands grasped down his back and shoulders, fingers slipping over smooth, unfamiliar skin. It felt odd, he thought, to be so close to the Leviathan and not recognize the feeling of his skin. Their lips moved slowly, carefully, swaying with the movement of the water around them. San was still surprised by the change in his taste, but more so now by the change in the _physical_ sensation of kissing him. 

San didn’t want to admit it out loud, but there was a distinct ache in him that begged to feel the Leviathan’s natural form settled between his thighs like this. He didn’t know how to address it, but it seemed as though the Leviathan caught onto his frustration. 

Seonghwa moved to grip his uninjured thigh, hiking it up and falling deeper into him. He parted their lips with a final sweet motion, nipping gently at the Elf’s bottom lip. “Tell me, San, would you hate me if I shifted?”

San wiggled beneath him, breath trapped somewhere in his chest as he attempted to regain some semblance of control of his body. He wasn’t sure what held him hostage any longer: the slowly waning paralytics or the overwhelming heat building in him or the weight of Seonghwa’s eyes staring down at him. He shook his head lightly, dazed, and managed to stutter out, “N-No go ahead.”

San hadn’t ever watched Seonghwa transition, but the process was much smoother than he expected. The Leviathan’s skin slowly grew darker, more faded as the thick and coarse feeling skin replaced it, the seam of his legs growing over with flesh toned skin before scales popped to the surface and then it elongated. His fingers became webbed and teeth grew sharper and San watched it all with fascinated eyes. When he was done, his brow eyes blinked to black and suddenly he was back to the Leviathan that San recognized. His curved nose rubbed a soft line against his jaw as he scented him. San shivered, body still weak and exposed to every sensation tenfold.

Seonghwa licked at the soft skin of his neck as he gripped his hips tighter, it felt _possessive_. San wriggled again, the wet fabric of his pants rough against his half-hard cock and mind slowly going doughy. San still wasn’t sure what it was about making out with the Leviathan that turned him into a wreck so quickly, but he was slowly falling back into the lulling headspace that he found everytime he was intimate with the Creature. 

“San,” Seonghwa’s voice was soft against his neck and it made the Elf squeeze his eyes shut, “May I undress you?”

San wriggled in the sand at the soft-spoken request, body cringing inwards as it tried to escape the heat pooling in all of his limbs before feeding into his abdomen. San typically said no in these moments where it got too heady too fast, tried to drag himself back to reality while he still could. He couldn’t find it in him to do so today. Seonghwa had been so careful with him, so kind. He treated him with such soft hands full of concern and patience. He treated him like he was precious, _like he was a mate_ , and the realization hit San like a brick. He hadn’t expected to like the idea as much as he had, but he found himself unprecedentedly _needy_ , body heating and mind numbing. 

“ _Yes_ ,” He finally sighed, “Please.”

Seonghwa didn’t waste any more time stripping the shredded remains of his pants off and setting them on the shoreline with care. He left San’s shirt on him for the moment, admiring the way the water curved around the white fabric, staining it black with the enchantment. San’s hair was wet now, moppy and flowing with the waves that had begun to fill the cradle they resided in. Seonghwa’s eyes dipped along his exposed collarbone, the laces to the shirt undone now and exposing the smooth, soft skin there. San trembled when Seonghwa’s hand dropped to his chest, fingers just barely sliding beneath the fabric to drag his curved claws gently at the skin there. 

“My Little Elf, you are so _soft_. You’ll be ravaged like this.” 

San’s eyes screwed shut as he attempted to gain a clearer head, though he knew it was in vain. His efforts were stalled when Seonghwa’s free hand slid up the exposed skin of his thigh and held the flesh firmly, the tips of his claws pressing against the skin with just enough pressure to alert him of their existence but not enough to break skin. It made San shiver, the feeling of being in the hunters clutches. “You are positively _delectable_.”

San was ashamed of the moan that left his throat, unable to control himself as he writhed in the water with soft noises. He was begging, voice whiney and pleading, for something he wasn’t entirely sure about- he was just _asking_ for _anything_. “Please, Seonghwa, you-you have to-just- _please_.”

Seonghwa hummed, the sound closer to a growl as it rolled through his chest and throat, as he rose up on his tail to stare down at the Elf. San was sure he looked like a mess, already so fucked out from _nothing_ \- if he was in any other state of mind, he’d probably be embarrassed. Now, however, he was just needy and _yearning_.

“I have to what, Little Elf?” He was patronizing in tone, amused and taunting, and it made San’s insides clench. “I have to take you? Ruin you? Devour you?”

San moaned, the sound broken and barely stifled as his thighs twitched and Seonghwa grinned, a mouth full of sharp teeth, _predatory_. San’s eyes squeezed shut, no longer able to stare at the sight in front of him and remain sane. “Oh heavens and moon, _please_.”

San wasn’t sure what he had expected in response, but Seonghwa’s hands leaving him all at once wasn’t _it_. San’s eyes pried open at the sound of the water being disturbed, the flow suddenly diverted from around him as Seonghwa’s body pressed flat to the sand and blocked the waters path for now. San watched with wide eyes as the Leviathan caught his thighs in a firm grip and pushed them up from where they were lax against the sand, folding him in a rather peculiar and _exposing_ way. San blushed madly, mouth struggling to find words to object to this position, but he found himself unable to do so as Seonghwa stared up at him. The Leviathan grinned at him sadistically, teeth exposed and eyes darker than usual, practically the same as the water and its illusion. San wondered again how much of him was connected to the ocean. “Now, Little Elf, how can I take my fill if you’re going to deny me it? I thought this was what you wanted.” 

San was overwhelmed, the pout in Seonghwa’s voice unfitting the words he spoke. It worked like a fast acting poison, dulling his objections into nothing but a faint memory. All the Elf could do was nod, senses failing him as he was only able to focus on the feeling of the Leviathan’s hands.

Seonghwa grinned again, nodding gently, and then flattening back out against the sand. San watched with wide eyes as the Leviathan dipped between his thighs, mouthing at the soft inner skin, teeth grazing against it. The Leviathan was marking him along his thighs, he knew, nipping and sucking gently along the delicate skin to mark him. It was a claim, San thought distantly, to mark his more intimate areas in a blatant sign of possessiveness. San was trembling again, body wavering and unsteady at the realization. It was lewd, he thought, and absolutely sinful, but his body fell into it easily. 

Seonghwa’s lips trailed up his thighs to the hem of his shirt, nipping at the juncture of his hip and thigh in a manner that made San squirm again. Then, Seonghwa tugged the shirt out of the way with his teeth, pulling it just up to his belly button and with that, San was bared to the air and Leviathan all the same. San made a noise, one that was pathetic to his own ears, his fingers digging into the sand for whatever support he could manage. Seonghwa’s tail caught his eyes, the tapered tip waggling just above the surface of the cresting waves, movements flickering and almost _excited_. 

San felt like he was about to faint, the Levithan’s lips brushing against the tip of his cock with a sweet kiss. His lips were plush and warm and felt just as good wrapping around his cock as they did when they were kissing him. Seonghwa’s mouth was designed to ravage and San was finally getting _his_ turn being inhaled _by that mouth_.

San’s hips twitched, a feeble attempt to thrust upwards, though it was aborted and weak. San felt heat rush through his face at the way that Seonghwa exhaled around him in a muffled laugh. It was _shameful_ , San thought, to be spread out like this and unable to do anything but weakly shift and plead. Seonghwa seemed all too happy to have a pliant victim, however, and San suspected that his state of being would not change. 

San bit his tongue when Seonghwa dropped down, engulfing him fully for a moment before sliding back up. He curled his unnaturally long and entirely smooth tongue around the tip, flickering slightly, before dropping back down. He built up the rhythm, mouth lax and loose as he went down, tight and aggressive as he pulled up. His _tongue_ , though, would certainly kill San. It was far too dexterous and long and moved seemingly disjointed from the rest of his mouth. It wriggled and curled and massaged no matter the placement of Seonghwa’s mouth and it left him absolutely _mindless_.

Heat overtook him as Seonghwa worked him into a blubbering mess. San knew he was speaking, but the words weren’t audible to his own ears. He was no longer in control of his body, merely a spectator for the experience. Seonghwa’s claws nicked at his skin as he held him tighter and San’s back arched at the sensation.

San wasn’t prepared for the moment that Seonghwa departed, cold air making him quiver once again- San wasn’t sure how summer air as hot and humid as today’s could feel _cold_ , but it made his mind fuzzy. When his wet eyes were finally able to be peeled open he was only met with the sight of the top of Seonghwa’s head, his black hair dry and curly from the long exposure to the air. San’s body tensed when Seonghwa’s nose buried itself beneath his balls, his breath far too warm for the sensitive area. Then _that damn tongue_ slid from his lips and brushed against his skin.

San hadn’t expected _this_. It didn’t feel like much at first, albeit a little ticklish and sensitive, but the longer Seonghwa’s tongue trailed comforting circles around the entire area, the more he felt as though he had been submerged in honey. Then, Seonghwa’s tongue flicked over his hole, gentle and firm and it made him squirm in his grasp, hips shifting as he attempted to both move away from and chase the feeling. Seonghwa’s fingers held his thighs tightly, though acutely aware of the injured one, and kept him spread and pinned. 

San hadn’t ever been eaten out before; he’d had partners willing and offering, but there was an innate shyness within him that refused to let him accept. It felt oddly _freeing_ to have a partner take control and move him as he pleased, to take what he pleased. San knew if he objected genuinely, Seonghwa would cease immediately, but until then, San was _his_. San didn’t want to think too much into what that said about him, about what giving up his control to a Leviathan meant. The thoughts were only able to form a moment longer as Seonghwa’s tongue dug _inside_ of him, slipping in when his body had relaxed just enough. San’s back arched lightly again, thighs trembling as he attempted to find a way to process the feeling of being stretched like _this_. 

His tongue fucked lazily in and out, wriggling and twisting, reaching deeper than it _should have_. San was certain if he had let any previous partner do this it wouldn’t have felt like _this_. San’s chest heaved as he Leviathan pried him open, tongue retreating and flickering around him momentarily before shoving back in. He was _devouring_ him, truly just eating him whole. 

When San felt his eyes tear up, Seonghwa pulled away, kissing at his thighs soothingly, placatingly. Slowly the Leviathan slid up his body, dragging his shirt with his hands and removing it completely. The Elf barely had the resources in himself to register the fact that he was fully exposed now in the presence of a predator that has eaten countless of his townsfolk, the brief thought making him shiver again. 

“Tell me, my Little Elf,” Seonghwa sighed, settled between his thighs once again though this time he absolutely dwarfed the Elf. The sheer difference in their size made San’s cock twitch against his tail, his hips rutting softly against the slick surface. The Leviathan’s scales provided a sleek and smooth friction and it felt like he were grinding against warm, wrinkled satin. It was addicting and San couldn’t help his small ministrations. Seonghwa didn’t mention his movements, but his grin was all too telling. San felt his chest heat, but he didn’t stop the rolling of his hips. “May I take you?” 

San felt light-headed. His body no longer in his control. He knew the Leviathan wasn’t using his magic on him, but it was something far more natural, far more primal, controlling him- _lust_. San nodded, voice creaking as he whispered, “You’ve always taken what you wanted. Why stop now?” 

Seonghwa licked his lips, eyes tracing San’s entire outline before he closed his eyes and shivered. He dropped down then to kiss San, lips moving in rushed attention as San gripped his shoulders once again, unsure of where else to hold the Leviathan. Seonghwa kissed him differently this time, more intense with the swipes of his tongue against his lips, parting them and absorbing every sound that San made with ease. It truly felt as though Seonghwa was trying to swallow him.

San jumped slightly when something unexpectedly touched his leg, slithering up his thigh. It was wet and slick, but textured and catching on his skin in an odd way. 

He broke away from Seonghwa to glance down, watching the way his feeler tentacles had begun exploring him. The ends were flat and paddlelike, tapering off into a pointed tip and a wider end before abruptly curving into a thinner appendage that was long and slender and connected to his waist. They were covered in the same black scales that his tail was, though the underneath was the same rough yet smooth skin that melted into his torso. Distantly, San remembered the fact that shark skin was able to detect electromagnetic fields as sensory tools and suddenly it made sense as to why the feelers were incredibly sensitive; they were designed to feel down to the most miniscule thing. There was a strong curiosity in him to understand how the Leviathan functioned fully, to know how his body worked and how he processed information; he was enthralled with the Creature.

Seonghwa trailed them up his legs, his breathing oddly erratic for his usually composed self. It made San want to cry knowing that the Leviathan was as affected by this as he was. Seonghwa’s shell cracked only slightly, revealing only a small bit of his decomposure. “Oh, my Little Elf,” He panted, eyebrows furrowed sinfully as he stared down at the places where his feelers traced, “You taste divine.” 

San squeezed his eyes shut again, thighs clenching around the firm muscle of his tail as he rocked against him again. His movements were more feverish now as he became more desperate, more focused. His body was strung tight and he wanted to collapse into nothingness and be consumed by the abyss before him.

“Devour me, then,” San begged, voice sounding sweet and high even in his own ears, “Eat me until there’s nothing left, gorge on everything I have, just _take me_ already.”

Seonghwa groaned, deep in his chest, his feelers slipping over San’s cock momentarily. San squirmed, body on fire as he wriggled around. He wondered if the Leviathan could truly taste him through his feelers, could taste the sweat on his skin, the remnants of what blood the ocean hadn’t taken yet. He wondered what information those feelers took back to Seonghwa that made his face scrunch as it did as they rubbed lightly over his cock still.

“Oh, Little Elf,” The Levithan crooned after a moment, retreating from him just enough to stare down at him, “You have no idea what you’re asking for.” 

San was ready to continue begging, but the Leviathan pulled away, slipping into the water and disappearing entirely. San felt unnerved at the way that he slipped into the depths without even a ripple left behind. Everything was oddly still now, the water almost entirely engulfing his legs as the tide continued to eat away at the shoreline. San felt _so exposed_ , laying there injured and still slightly weakened from the paralytic. He was still entirely naked with an erection for the Creature that lived in the forbidden cove, just left to the mercy of nature.

San’s thighs clenched, his knees knocking together as he searched for some form of friction as the Leviathan remained beneath the surface.

Minutes passed and San felt his arousal slowly sinking as he began to feel forgotten about. It was only when San shifted his legs in the water, preparing to sit up that he saw the familiar fin break the surface. Seonghwa was circling the shoreline like a true predator, the black abyss keeping him well hidden. San felt the heat coming back to his body as he watched the fin dip back below the surface. He was sitting up now, one hand gently palming his cock back to life as he realized he had never been forgotten, he was merely being _hunted_.

San didn’t take the time to think if he was going insane, didn’t think about the fact that he _shouldn’t_ be aroused by something like this- he didn’t truly have the _time_ to. A hand wrapped around his ankles, a squeak leaving his mouth as he stared at the abyss. Then, he was dragged under.

His back hit the sand as he was dragged through it and into the darkness. San let himself go limp as the surface of the water got further away. It was only once they left the ledge of the shoreline did Seonghwa turn around and manhandle San into an upright position. Seonghwa stared at him, his eyes equally as dark as the illusion on the surface of the water and San felt unexpectedly needy. 

One thing he had learned since meeting Seonghwa was that when one stares into the abyss, the abyss stares back.

Seonghwa released the Elf after a second, pulling away to swim laps around him instead, movements taunting as though he truly were just a bored predator focused on something _challenging_. San’s chest began to beg for air and he realized the Leviathan was waiting for him to resurface. 

When San was able to breathe again, he realized that this was all a _game_ to the Leviathan. He was toying with him the same way a bored cat would with a trapped mouse. San bobbed in the water for a minute, breathing as he shook wondering what the Creature was planning to do with him now that he was stranded in the middle of the cove. 

San didn’t have to wonder long, familiar hands gripping his calves. San took a deep breath to prepare himself for being dragged under, though he never was. Seonghwa instead took his time groping his legs, feeling up the entirety of them as his tail swished around them. San was barely able to tread water with the way that Seonghwa was fondling his legs, his arms doing most of the work, which was a rather good thing considering the state his one leg was in. The ache of the bruising in his shoulder didn’t deter him, however, barely a recognizable thing as he was completely distracted by the feeling of Seonghwa’s hands moving to clutch at the crease along the curve of his ass and dip of his thighs. Seonghwa parted his cheeks, clawed thumbs tracing along his hole. 

San gasped deeply, inhaling some water and spluttering about it. Fully distracted by the near drowning, Seonghwa used that time to press something oddly textured against him. San stilled in the water, body rigid, as the… _thing_ slithered against his ass and slowly rubbed against his hole. Seonghwa must have realized San would _actually_ drown like this, bringing his tail up for San to stand on and keep his head just above water as the Leviathan continued to play with him. 

San couldn’t see beneath the water, the illusion obscuring everything except entire nothingness. San would never cease to be alarmed with the way the water didn’t even refract light, no reflections or glassy surface. It truly was the all-consuming abyss. 

It took him a second to register the prodding of the _thing_ , before something poked inside of him. It was tapered, the tip thin but widening as it slid in and it felt oddly flat. _His feelers_ , San recognized distantly, Seonghwa was penetrating him with his feelers. 

San moaned and shifted, feet slipping on the slick surface of his tail. Seonghwa held him steady with his thighs, the appendage pressing deeper before the second one joined. He was adventuring San’s insides lazily, moving slowly and pressing against every wall as they went. 

San was _sobbing_ into the air. He felt full in an odd way- he was _so deep_ within him, though there wasn’t much filling him out. Seonghwa was probably gaining more from the encounter than San, but San was still hard beneath the surface, precum surely being lost to the waves. 

Seonghwa’s feelers shifted around, continually brushing against each other as he thrusted them gently. Together they couldn’t have been any thicker than two of San’s fingers, but it was overwhelming nonetheless with the way that they stroked the inside of him.

Seonghwa surprised the Elf when he slipped away, leaving the Elf prepped and forced to tread water once again. It was nerve-wracking being left so vulnerable like this, but San trusted Senghwa without fault. 

San didn’t start when an arm wrapped around his waist from behind and pressed him half against a familiarly warm body, and started dragging him towards the area with the boulder that Seonghwa liked to lounge on. San gasped when he was lifted from the water and deposited on the crags that rested below the surface, the entirely black water lapping at his lap. The rock he was on felt rectangular and slanted, his body pinned to it only by Seonghwa’s presence. Without the Leviathan he would slip into the abyss and something about the lack of power made San keen to the open air again. 

Seonghwa’s head breached the surface, eyes level as he stared at the writhing Elf. He looked every bit the predator he was in that moment, just watching his prey. 

“Seonghwa,” San finally pleaded after a moment, feeling as though he were going to explode from the heat, “Please, please do something.” 

Seonghwa seemed merciful enough to oblige, raising up from the water to slip over San’s welcoming body once again. San eyed the curve of his torso and where it led into his hips, the slit there typically concealed by the checkering of his scales was now slightly parted. San wanted to reach down and explore it, to figure out the entire anatomy of the Leviathan. San wasn’t able to do so, nor was he able to watch the way Seonghwa unsheathed what he assumed was his own dick, because the Leviathan pressed his hips down. He held their chests together while he found the right angle, shifting minutely.

San became distracted by the soft kisses Seonghwa pressed to his cheek and chin, body slowly going completely relaxed. Seonghwa had no problems slipping inside of him, the penetration easy, drawing a gasp from his throat that San’s body processed more in his cock than in his head. 

San mewled at the odd sensation, shifting where the Leviathan had him pinned. It was oddly wet and slippery, far more so than from just the water. The stretch was barely more than Seonghwa’s feelers had been, though it was equally as dexterous and shifted around inside of him until he bottomed out. He was far deeper in San than the Elf had expected; he felt as though if he were to press on his stomach he would feel him shifting there beneath his skin. 

Seonghwa didn’t truly thrust, not with his body. Instead his cock just continually shifted inside of the Elf, moving in motions he was unused to that felt completely foreign but no less pleasurable. He was throbbing, almost pulsating, and San thought that this would certainly be the death of him. San was moaning weakly into the air, nothing more than a limp pile of limbs being held together by the Leviathan. 

It was a good feeling, but it was also a _not enough_ feeling. He needed more, desperate to be filled and fucked until he was boneless and stuffed. He knew the Leviathan was holding back, could feel it in the way his fingers gripped his waist and his teeth latched onto his shoulder. He was attempting not to hurt or scare the Elf, something San found fully endearing, his heart swooning as he managed to gather some of his senses.

“Seonghwa,” San complained, pressing gently on his chest to catch the Leviathan’s attention. It worked, on hand immediately coming up to grasp at his hand and kiss his finger tips placatingly. “ _Please_. More.” 

Seonghwa looked over his expression, his face flushed and eyes glossy. He looked strained, like he had been waiting for the Elf to ask him such a thing. San watched as Seonghwa’s eyes slid closed and his eyebrows furrowed, concentrating on _something_. His fingers still clutched San’s to his mouth, lips pressed against his knuckles.

It took a second to register the way that slowly, San was being filled out further. The stretch wasn’t noticeable at first, though the cock inside him grew bigger- thicker, longer, spreading him open until he shifted his thighs apart with a slack jaw as he attempted to process what was happening.

Seonghwa’s tongue lolled out of his mouth, hanging freely for a second until the shift stopped. San couldn’t breathe, but Seonghwa was _panting_ , his body twitching above San’s as his gills flared with no purpose on land. Seonghwa looked illicit here, fully encapsulated in the pleasure of San’s body and it made the Elf feel that much more unhinged in response. He could worry about the ethics of everything later.

“Oh, Little Elf,” He breathed, his chest heaving and body quaking, “I’m going to _ruin_ you.” 

Despite the growth, Seonghwa still didn’t thrust into him, instead his member wriggled around in small motions, pulsing and _hot_ \- so much hotter than San had expected. San shifted his hips occasionally to try and fill the sensation he was missing, his body aching for _something_. It took him a while and many tries of Seonghwa shifting before he found what San was asking for. When Seonghwa adjusted upwards slightly, leering over San completely, he finally applied pressure to his prostate. San’s eyes bugged before squeezing shut, rocking against the Leviathan as he worked for the stimulation he could get with a shrill noise.

Seonghwa watched him with intense eyes, following all of his movements carefully, practically studying him. 

San knew he was falling apart: his chest was flushed and heaving with hollow breaths, hair a wreck with a mix between water and knots; his entire body was trembling uncontrollably as his hips did what they could to fuck himself on the Leviathan. It was all so much he felt like he was about to burst, overwhelmed by everything happening all at once.

Then something odd pressed against his already stretched body. San was able to pry his eyes open just enough to look down and see that Seonghwa’s feelers had become more traditional tentacles, though they were black and long and suckerless. San trembled at the implications as one felt up his body to curve around his throat, holding him in place. The other one only teased at where they were joined, tickling the sensitive and stretched skin there. It made him whine weakly as his hips stuttered in their pace, _begging_.

“You look so pretty like this, Little Elf,” Seonghwa groaned, voice gravelly as he studied him, “Being fucked, I mean. You look as though you were built for this.”

San groaned at the explicit language; Seonghwa didn’t curse often -really he spoke with verbiage close to what the High Elves used-, but when he did it was always guttural and deep landing straight in San’s abdomen. 

“You’d look so pretty being bred.” Seonghwa panted, his hips finally moving as well, though it was more like a vibration than a thrust, and it made San’s head drop backwards in a silent scream. “Full. Full of cum. Full of offspring. The process in which I would have to take you to breed you would be _exquisite_.”

San could cry at the way Seonghwa spoke and perhaps he already _was_.

“How many times would I have to take you before you were carrying?” Seonghwa breathed, his body growing the slight bit hotter as the water continued to rise around them now sloshing around the area they were joined. San felt as though he were going to pass out at Seonghwa words and the way he sounded almost entirely unaffected. If it weren’t for the slight strain and his visual appearance, San wouldn’t have even known he was fucking into someone.

San moaned weakly, dejected, as the tentacle finally prodded inside, stretching him further. The tentacle at his neck held him down as his body was forced to open for the second appendage. It was slick, sliding in easily with little pain, but it made San feel entirely boneless, unable to comprehend the moment he was settled in. Seonghwa didn’t fuck the tentacle in entirely, more so just used the it to press gentle circles into his prostate in a way his dick couldn’t. San felt as though his mind had finally given out at the intense stimulation, focused only on the sound of Seonghwa panting in his ear as he collapsed onto him, mouthing at his neck and shoulder weakly. 

“Some mates take several mooncycles to finally take, others only once. I’d try for ages with you,” Seonghwa groaned, sentence interrupted as his body shook violently. San realized breathlessly that Seonghwa’s speaking was as much for himself as it was for him. Seonghwa was verbalizing his fantasies and it only made San feel that much closer to imploding. When the shaking stopped, Seonghwa continued speaking, the vibration of his hips stronger now, “I’d take my time breeding you just to _enjoy_ it.” 

“Oh fuck, please,” San was begging, tongue heavy and loose as his mind was freed from his inhibitions, “I’d-I’d take it.” 

“I know you would.” Seonghwa sighed sadly into his neck, teeth grazing the area so tantalizingly that San almost begged for him to scar him up. “Not yet. Not now. But you _will_.” 

San felt the tears slipping from his eyes, coming into a sudden consciousness of his being. He glanced between where Seonghwa and he were pressed together when the Leviathan’s palm pressed against his stomach reverently as though he were imagining what his body would look like during. San was almost alarmed to see the slight bulge there and the way it vibrated gently with soenghwa’s ministrations. 

“ _Oh fuck,_ ” It finally sent San over the edge, the constant pressure to every angle inside of him, the way Seonghwa rearranged his organs to be buried there, the way that he vibrated and the tentacle massaged his prostate- he was finally _done_. He sobbed through his orgasm, fingers digging into the more humanoid skin of the Leviathan’s shoulders, though it did nothing to injure him. The tentacle around his neck held him steady as he cried into the evening with hoarse sounds, his orgasm cresting. 

“Come, my Little Elf,” Seonghwa nipped his ear as he spoke, voice sounding like sin and death, “Let me devour every single thing you have to offer me.” 

When San came it contorted his body, his back arching as his head was pinned by the tentacle, his legs thrashing in attempts to close. His mind whited out as everything spilled out in quick pulses that smeared between their chests in a sticky mess joined by the black water droplets there. 

San went entirely limp, almost concerningly so, the Leviathan the only thing holding him together as he chased his own high. Seonghwa retreated the tentacle from inside of him, using the appendage to hold him up as his vibrations increased. It barely took another minute before the Leviathan was pressing tight against him and releasing inside. San moaned dazedly at the feeling of being filled so intimately, warmth flooding him inside and out as the Leviathan claimed every bit of him. Seonghwa was making sweet noises as he did so, sounding almost as though he were cooing at the Elf, his lips pressing softly across his neck and jawline at random intervals between cooes. 

When Seonghwa finally withdrew from the Elf, he gathered him up in his arms and rolled them over. He slid the two from the rock and held the Elf close as they floated in the cove. The sun was setting now, dipping between the mouth of the cliff and the remains of its other half, taking with it the overbearing summer heat. San felt entirely relaxed, head fluffy as he was cradled by the Leviathan. 

When the sky turned magenta and indigo, San spoke first, his voice hoarse. “I should get going home. They will look for me if not.” 

“They will not check here,” Seonghwa said confidently, “They will not check the waters.” 

_Stay away from the waters._ Yes, San knew the phrase well and knew Seonghwa was correct. He didn’t put up a further argument. He didn’t truly wish to leave, not when Seonghwa was the inviting kind of warm that he seemed to crave constantly. 

Seonghwa was gently massaging his lower back, fingers no longer clawed as they dug into the sore muscles there. He murmured softly into the Elf’s hair, lips brushing his head, “I hope I did not hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” San assured, nuzzling into his chest with a faint, content smile, “I will be sore, but you did not hurt me.”

“Good,” Seonghwa said, voice guarded, “I do not wish to ever hurt you.”

“Then you won’t.” San supplied, snuggling into the Leviathan’s chest, “I feel safe with you. I trust you.” 

The Levithan purred again, the sound a rumble that echoed through his chest and vibrated the water and made San’s heart warm. They stayed like that, watching as the stars appeared, floating in the blackness together. San knew they fell asleep, but he couldn’t pinpoint when, the Leviathan keeping him held tight and safe the entire night. The next morning at twilight Seonghwa had called Amyre to the shorelines using whatever his alluring magic was, mending his pants with a wave of his hand. San wondered just how powerful the Leviathan was, what kind of magical capabilities he held. 

San had ridden home with a sore body and cloudy mind, thoughts stuck on the feeling of being held by the Leviathan and the precedent that he was hoping to mate him eventually. The thought left him fuzzy, not even noticing when he had made it back to the town. He brushed off everyones concern with ease, explaining he had simply lost track of time and wished to stargaze- something that hadn’t gone well with the elders and High Elves, but San couldn’t find it in him to actually _care_. He felt like he was glowing. He felt more alive that morning than he had any other time. 

When he arrived home, he pried the seaweed bandage off of his skin to reveal a pretty pink scar, no further damage left. Seonghwa had truly healed him, had taken care of him in a way he would expect a mate to. The thought left him warm and content.

XI.)  
[Autumn, Present]

Seonghwa hadn’t met many Elves in his lifetime. Most had been shrewd and cold, glaring at anything that moved with an overwhelming, almost bitter magical presence. San hadn’t been like that, not even from the start. He was something entirely _different_. Mayhaps that was the reason he had spared the Elf the first day.

They were laying in the waves similarly to the first time they’d fucked, Seonghwa clutching the pretty Elf to him as though he would die before releasing him. Perhaps that was the truth, though, that Seonghwa would guard him with his life. 

He nuzzled into the Elf’s hair, smelling the sweet floral scent that clung to him from the apothecary he worked in. He was lovely, Seonghwa thought, just lovely.

The Elf was muttering about some potion brewing he had been working on, the Leviathan listening dutifully. He was complaining about how hellish it would be to go and stand for hours the next day after Seonghwa had taken him as he had on the shoreline. 

Seonghwa apologized, though he felt no guilt. 

“You are so…” San said, pulling back to glare up at him. He looked cute when he was trying to be intimidating, Seonghwa thought, much like the angry guppies that lived in the seamoss patches. 

“I am so what, my Little Elf?” Seonghwa purred, pressing a kiss to his forehead and admiring the way his eyes crossed to follow the movement. “Finish your thoughts, dear, or they get lost.”

“ _Annoying_ ,” San huffed, though there was no bite to his words as he dropped against the Leviathan’s chest. He never stayed distant for long, seeming to crave the closeness of the Leviathan as much as the Leviathan craved his.

“Yet you do not leave.” Seonghwa said, fingers coming up to twirl his curly black strands with admiration, “If I am everything you say I am, surely you should be running by now.” 

“And abandon you?” San asked incredulously and Seonghwa could practically hear the way he rolled his eyes, a grin stealing his own lips as his fingers traced over the soft curves of his ribs. “Never. You would never survive without me now.”

“Oh?” Seonghwa’s voice piqued, “Is that so?” 

“It is,” San said with confidence, playing with Seonghwa’s fingers on his waist as he looked up with his dimpled grin. Seonghwa so admired the creases in his cheeks, the way his eyes became crescents as he did so. He looked radiant like this, smiling and cocky in the early autumn air. “You would be lonely.”

Seonghwa paused for a minute, looking to the shoreline and the dying leaves there. Seonghwa had never experienced loneliness, his kind not truly built for it. He supposed loneliness felt a lot like the ache in his chest that bloomed every time he watched the Elf disappear into the treelines. He thought that loneliness felt like the hollow echoing of his heartbeats as he waited until the Elf returned to disrupt the shoreline and gain his attention. He figured that loneliness was what he felt when San left and he couldn’t find it in him to deny that. 

“Perhaps you are correct,” He said finally, “I would be so sad without you.”

San blinked at him, expression far too complicated for Seonghwa to read. His head dropped against his chest finally as though staring at the Leviathan was an overwhelming experience. He sounded determined when he spoke next, “That’s why we _will_ be mates.”

Seonghwa chuckled, kissing his head again, hoping to conceal the absolute flurry of emotions that swelled in his chest at his words. His body hummed with excitement at the mere concept. Seonghwa nuzzled at his head until San looked up, then he pressed a kiss to the Elf’s nose before speaking softly, barely audible above the sound of the water, “Of course, my Little Elf. If that is what you wish, then of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> that was A Lot. 
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoyed and if you want to hang out w me on twt you can find me [@MidnightPasses](https://twitter.com/MidnightPasses) where all i do is cry over various kpop groups  
> or yell at me in my [CC](https://curiouscat.me/MidnightPasses?t=156572385)
> 
> <3<3<3<3


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